Emma Davies: Contemporary Sculpture and Material Innovation

Emma Davies is a distinguished Melbourne-based sculptor and multimedia artist with a practice spanning over three decades. Based in Australia, she is widely recognized for her pioneering work with non-traditional industrial materials, most notably polypropylene packaging, mesh, and baler twine. Her artistic journey began in 1993 during a printmaking course in Milan, which ignited her passion for tactile creation. Upon returning to Melbourne, she transitioned from resin and fiberglass to the experimental use of reclaimed plastics. Emma Davies employs a unique, self-taught methodology that involves welding, stitching, and heating polypropylene to create intricate sculptural vessels and installations. Her work often draws on themes of bio-mimicry, transforming discarded man-made materials into organic forms that mimic the natural world. These labor-intensive textiles possess an ethereal quality, where light and shadow play across architectural skins of pressed netting. Her portfolio includes significant commissions for high-profile properties, large-scale public installations, and cross-cultural collaborations, such as her residency in Soweto and work with indigenous weavers in West Arnhem Land. Emma Davies has exhibited extensively across Australia and internationally, with her works held in numerous private and corporate collections. Her process is defined by an instinctual inquiry into the possibilities of contemporary materials, resulting in a unique expression of beauty that challenges traditional perceptions of functionality.