Who are we?
The Art Vault’s four founding artists are:
Mario Sanchez, Elena Mautiussi-Pimm, Samantha Curno and Jax Fiddes.
Mario Sanchez
(Studio Sanchez)
Leatherworker, Visual Artist, Sculptor, Graphic Designer
Mario is an award winning leatherworker and visual artist hailing from the beautiful township of Kyogle, NSW. His leather artworks have won several art prizes in the Northern Rivers region and beyond. He owned and operated “The Leather Shop - Kyogle” for almost 9 years before closing it to pursue his creative practice.
The Art Vault is an extension of this practice, realising the need for collaboration amongst creatives in the region to deal with the ever increasing pressures studio artists experience.
Elena
Mautiussi-Pimm
Painter, Printmaker, Leatherworker, Tailor
Born and raised in Lismore, Elena is the youngest in the group but by no means is she lacking experience. She is known for her bold, vibrant and often quite deep explorations of the human experience through her paintings, lino prints and recently her leatherwork. At 22 she already has a long list of exhibitions and her dedication to her art practice is often unmatched.
Samantha Curno
(Sea of Teef/The Fae Forge) Visual Artist, Photographer, Tinkerer
Sam spends her days nestled amongst the forests of Larnook, lovingly tending to her garden and creating wondrously beautiful objects, candles and artworks. She has a wonderful eye for design and photography as well as an innate ability to be able to decorate the most drab of spaces or objects, breathing new life into them to become cherished by those who see them. A true creative, you never know what to she will come up with next.
Jax Fiddes
(Spiral Earth Pottery)
Potter/Ceramicist, Creator
Established in Nimbin, Jax is one of those artists who can do anything she sets out to do and does it well.
Specialising in ceramics, her wares are often inspired by her beautiful Northern Rivers surroundings. Expertly making pottery that sits perfectly alongside our beautiful forests and creeks, making them a joy to use everyday.