Raw and Refined
Phoebe Porter
5 – 22 November 2026
Location | Departures Lounge, Canberra Airport, 21 Terminal Avenue, Canberra Airport 2609
Opening Hours | 5am – 11pm | Visitors must go through airport security to access exhibition
Entry | Free
Access | Wheelchair accessible, wheelchair accessible bathroom, off street parking, accessible parking
Raw and Refined is an exhibition of new work by established contemporary jeweller Phoebe Porter exploring the dualities of raw and worked, natural and cultural, and material and meaning. The project explores refinement both as an artistic act, distilling ideas and forms to their essence, and as a material process in which raw elements are transformed to become workable.
For this series, Porter contrasts unaltered natural specimens, including native gold and uncut gemstones, with precision-made components refined by mining, alloying, cutting and finishing. Through careful construction methods, the natural materials are preserved in their original state, creating a striking conceptual and visual dialogue between the raw and highly refined elements.
This exhibition asks what makes jewellery truly precious. Beyond material rarity, Porter considers the importance of artistic intent, skilled craftsmanship and personal meaning. The exhibition positions the handmade as an act of creative dissent: insisting on skill, deliberation and intentionality, and highlighting the cultural value of thoughtful design.
Presented in the departures lounge at Canberra Airport, a light-filled contemporary space designed by Canberra architectural practice Guida Moseley Brown, the exhibition highlights Canberra’s distinctive design culture to a national and international audience. The venue provides a fitting context for an exhibition exploring the origins of materials and Australian identity through design.
This project has been supported by the CAPO Robert Foster Memorial Award, the ACT Government City of Design Project Fund and Canberra Airport Group.
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Phoebe Porter is an Australian contemporary jeweller whose work combines geometric abstraction, bold colour, and the careful balancing of contrasting elements, drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus and Russian Constructivism. Trained in gold and silversmithing, she skilfully combines industrial materials and processes with precious elements, employing refined hand-making skills and an innovative design language developed over 25 years of practice.
Phoebe’s work is highly collectable and held in public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, and the Powerhouse Museum. In addition to regular exhibitions across Australia, Phoebe has been invited to show in London, Japan, Germany and Washington. Her accolades include a Victoria Premier’s Design Mark, being name DESIGN Canberra Festival Designer-in-Residence, and grants from the Australia Council, Arts Victoria and Arts ACT.
Phoebe works from her heritage studio at Gorman Arts Centre, where she continues to produce her distinctive, internationally recognised jewellery.
SEE ARTIST WEBSITE HERE
Proudly supported by ACT Government City of Design funding and Canberra Airport
Images | Phoebe Porter | Raw and Refined 2025 | Photos supplied by the Artist