Design and Art Australia Online

Intuitive abstract painter Rosemary Mangiamele was born in Melbourne in 1943. She had a successful career in occupational therapy in which she used art and creative activities as therapeutic and communication tools.

Mangiamele worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea as an occupational therapist before developing her own artistic abilities to a professional level, using watercolour, acrylic and mixed media.

She began with traditional watercolour painting in Sweden, then, upon returning to Australia, she took an adventurous change of direction, undertaking five years of classical Chinese watercolour painting in the Lingnan style, under Patrick Lam. Mangiamele exhibited with the local and international group of Lingnan artists at the Melbourne Chinese Museum, in December 1995 and also participated in another exhibition entitled 'Chinese Painting and Calligraphy’ at the Melbourne Chinese Cultural Centre from 7-14 October 1995.

Mangiamele then returned to connecting with her own culture and attended classes at the Victorian Artists Society in Melbourne with Joseph Zbukvic, Herman Pekel and later, Margaret Cowling.

In 1994 she began to explore mixed media and contemporary art in regular workshops with Margery Hummel Bennett. This reinforced her connection with community and social justice issues, and significant changes were evident in her creative output. Many works made a political or social comment, such as Twilight (1997) commenting on the drug scene, Rwanda (1997), Turning Point In East Timor (1999), and Tolerance (1999). In Memoriam (1999) was created when Rosemary became aware that Shed 'F’ at Queen Victoria Market had been built over an Aboriginal burial ground.

Holding the position of Artist-in-Residence at the Melbourne YWCA from 1998 to 2002, Rosemary used art as a therapeutic medium when working with a group of disadvantaged, transient young women in a program called 'Art Reach’, assisting in loss and change. This experience fed into her lifelong interest in cross cultural influences and social justice, which is evident in such works as Eviction Day (1998) and Refugees (1998).

Branching out from works on canvas and paper, Mangiamele and a business partner began a unique commercial venture named 'Art and Soul Coffins’ in 1999. Creative skills were put to use individualising wooden coffins with paint, collage and other applied decoration, making an end product reflecting the life of the individual. The concept was inspired by her work with the 'Art Reach’ program, and the unfortunate death of two young women who had been participants. For them, a formal, sterile funeral did not seem appropriate.

In working through her grief following the death of her husband in 2001, she held a solo exhibition called 'Journey of Grief’. Some titles of the paintings included: Grappling With the Challenge, The Dance of Desolation, Reflecting on Life, Searching , Transformation, Exploring My Inner Self and Making New Connections .

In 2002 Mangiamele completed a Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy, in which she further explored the changes in her life and past experiences. Consequently her art then took on a more abstract style of expression.

Community art and events figured in Mangiamele’s artistic career on several occasions. In 2004 she was responsible for the Sustainable Living Festival’s ritual opening at BMW Edge (Federation Square, Melbourne), and for art therapy sessions at the festival. In 2007 she was involved in the creation of a vibrant new fifty-two metre mural for the City of Yarra’s Community Health Centre in Collingwood. Members of the Collingwood community contributed to the project by producing individual images.

Mangiamele delights in the challenge of outdoor sketching and painting both overseas and in Melbourne, regularly testing herself with the ever-changing crowds and scenes at the Queen Victoria Market – an ideal place to observe cross-cultural responses to life. At one point this interest resulted in an entire exhibition, 'Market Mania’, held in the YWCA Cato Gallery (Melbourne) in 1999.

By 2008 Mangiamele had held seven solo exhibitions and participated in fifty-six group exhibitions, including 'Calligraphy and Artists of the Lingnan Style of Chinese Painting’ at Melbourne’s Chinese Museum (1996); the Contemporary Art Society’s seventieth Anniversary Exhibition at 45 Downstairs, Melbourne (2008); and shows at the Watch House Gallery, Enniscorthy, Ireland and the Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra (2007).

Mangiamele’s paintings are held in private collections in Australia, Sweden, Italy, Ireland and the U.S.A. Thirty-six of her paintings are held in the permanent collections of St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne) and the YWCA (Melbourne).

As well as practising as a professional artist, Mangiamele has contributed to supporting other artists through her work on the Committee of the Women’s Art Register, and the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc. (CAS). In 2008 she was appointed Vice President of CAS.

Writers:

cumins

Date written:

2011

Last updated:

2009