ARTIST BIO

Amanda Benn (b. 1962, Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian sculptor and paper artist based in Fremantle, Western Australia. Working primarily with papier-mâché, paper pulp, recycled paper, and mixed-media processes, she creates sculptural works that explore transformation, memory, renewal, and the relationship between people and the natural environment.

Benn is best known for her innovative use of recycled materials and her expressive paper sculptures that combine traditional craft techniques with contemporary environmental concerns.

Amanda Benn has exhibited nationally and internationally, including the 2026 International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA) Paper Art Biennale, Denmark (juried), and the 2024 IAPMA Paper Art Biennale, Germany (juried). Earlier exhibitions include a sculpture installation at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in 2003 and a solo exhibition of paintings and sculptures in the official program of the Perth International Arts Festival in 2000. Her work is held in the collection of Fremantle Hospital, Western Australia, and in private collections throughout Australia and internationally.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Benn’s practice is characterised by an intuitive and process-driven approach to making, employing recycled newspapers, paper bags, cardboard, wire armatures, and found materials. Drawing inspiration from natural forms, ecological cycles, and personal narratives, her work investigates themes of resilience, fragility, regeneration, and the passage of time.

Through layered paper techniques and sculptural experimentation, she transforms everyday materials into evocative forms that retain traces of their previous lives while exploring the capacity of paper to function as a vessel for memory and experience.