Donna Gordge

Donna Gordge completed a Bachelor of Education (Visual Arts), majoring in textiles in 1994, followed by studies in Textiles, Clothing and Footwear at Onkaparinga Institute of TAFE and a Certificate IV in Art Practice (Textiles) at TAFE SA. In 2021, she completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Art at the University of South Australia.

While textiles remain an important foundation of her practice, Donna works increasingly with non-traditional materials, creating sculpture, installation and artist books. Artefacts, animals and found objects with personal meaning often become triggers for stories, recollections and remembered experiences. Through these materials, Donna explores the fragile and shifting nature of memory, loss and transformation, considering how people, places and experiences leave traces that shape and reshape our sense of identity.

Alongside her studio practice, Donna is an experienced art educator who enjoys sharing knowledge gained through her many creative experiences. She runs workshops for adults and children from her Camden Park studio and in a range of settings across South Australia and interstate, including TAFE, university, schools, outreach and community arts programs. She has also contributed to Creative Recovery programs with bushfire and flood-affected communities in South Australia and Victoria. Across her artistic and educational practices, Donna is interested in the power of making and storytelling to connect, remember and give new meaning to lived experience.