The delicate creations displayed in Maldon’s MANet Gallery are intricate, sculptural artworks and they are also hats. The wearable pieces were created by Noelle Elizabeth, who trained in Fine Arts at Ballarat University before pursuing a passion for historical headgear.
“I did a course in millinery but I didn’t want to make fascinators. I tracked down Louise Macdonald because I knew she had made bonnets for the BBC,” Noelle explains, referring to her mentor’s work on the beloved Pride and Prejudice miniseries.
Noelle’s creations, predominantly in the form of bonnets, explore a variety of eras and materials and some of the pieces in the exhibition are vintage hats that have been refurbished. They are all handmade using traditional methods, and Noelle notes her meticulous attention to quality and detail. But these are exquisite artworks and not simply recreations of historical costumes.
“I love working in 3D, nature and luxurious fabrics,” Noelle says, of her inspirations. “The bonnets are mixture of historically accurate and my own imagination; some of these are out of this world.”
Noelle Elizabeth’s exhibition titled ‘Black Red Priestess’ is on now at MANet Gallery, 27 Main Street Maldon until Friday 23 August. Prices for the bonnet artworks range from from $320-460. More information: maldonartistnetwork.org.au.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 9 August 2024.
