Salvatore 'Sam' Di Mauro

Profile

Salvatore Di Mauro is a Senior Lecturer in Design at Griffith University. Born in Innisfail, North Queensland Australia of Italian/Australian parents has helped him to realises the importance of establishing strong links with his multi cultural heritage, and the need for humankind to be aware of those important cultural icons, which establish a sense of place and belonging to the individual. His approach to art and design is one of investigating, discovering, analysing and materialising those cultural values, which are built on a strong sense of history and shaped to support a contemporary lifestyle.

Since the 1980s’ his art and design practice has been informed by the relationship between vernacular culture, object and environment. Since 1997, he has focused less on the exhibition of his artwork in a gallery context and more in working with local communities to develop public artwork which responds to the history and culture of place. He finds the opportunity to work with and for local communities and creative thinkers/artists/crafts persons/designers and local industry, both challenging and rewarding.

His recent commissions have included public artwork for Brisbane and regional centres in Queensland. A major commission, the Childers Backpacker Memorial was completed in 2002. Other commissions include Q150 Mosaic project for the Queensland Government, Art + Place State Schools of Tomorrow, River Reflections Innisfail, and Ulysses Link Mission Beach. Sam is currently investigating issues around the culture of remembering and memorialising.