The glazes of this latest body of work, acquire a painterly-like quality, and create a fusion of the selected decorative elements (often using Hiroe's trade mark fish motifs) with the clay bodies to achieve a purely natural unity. Called 'Turbulent Times' they reflect what she believes to be a deeper and richer understanding of what it is to be a human being, through the care of her ageing parents and the death of her father in 2001.

Born in Kyoto , Hiroe studied at the Kyoto Crafts Institute and for five years under the Master Potter Zenko Yasuda, before migrating to Australia in 1968. She has exhibited extensively in Australia and internationally. Her work is represented in the collections of the Australian National Gallery and all State Art Galleries , as well as major collections across the world.

Born Kyoto, Japan. Resident, Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia

EDUCATION

1958- Kyoto Crafts Institute

Apprenticeship to Master potter, H Hayashi, Kyoto

1967 Studied under Master Potter Zenko Yasuda, Kyoto

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2007 Turbulent Times, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA

2000 Hiroe Swen, A Retrospective , Power House Museum, Sydney, NSW

1995 Japanese Garden Centre Gallery , Cowra, NSW

1993 Gallery ANRI, Nagoya, Japan

1993 Weswal Gallery, Tamworth, NSW

1988 Perth Potters Club, Perth, WA

1998 Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA

1981 David Jones Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW

1973-90 Nine major exhibitions, Pastoral Gallery, Queanbeyan, NSW

1972 Japanese Embassy, Canberra

1969 Strawberry Hill Gallery, Sydney, NSW

1968 Craft Centre, Melbourne, VIC.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1998 Friends at the Edge, Gallery East, North Fremantle, WA

1997 Designed & Made, Centre for Contemporary Craft, Sydney, NSW

1997 Contemporary Art & Design Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

1997 Kunstgewerbe Museum, Dresden, Germany

1997 Museum of Ceramics, Sevres, France

1997 Meat Market Craft Centre, North Melbourne, VIC

1996 The Bowled and the Beautiful , Fremantle Art Gallery, WA

1996 CSA Staff Exhibition, Pastoral Gallery, Queanbeyan, NSW

1996 Galerie b15, Handwerk, Munich, Germany

1995 Women in a Changing City, Craft ACT

1994 The Bowled and the Beautiful , Fremantle Art Gallery, WA

1994 Pots 'n Platters , Penrith Regional Art Gallery, NSW

1993 Ceramic Art Gallery, Paddington, NSW

1990 Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW

1990 Galerie-L, Hamburg, Germany

1988 The Collectables Gallery, Perth, WA

1985 Distelkink Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1983-94 Retrospective, Art Gallery of NSW & Newcastle City Gallery, NSW

1982 Australian Ceramics, travelling exhibition, USA, Wollongong City Gallery, NSW

1978 Australia: Clay, travelling exhibition, Europe

1967 Nitten, Tokyo, Japan

1967 Faenza International, Italy

AWARDS, APPOINTMENTS & COMMISSIONS

2006 Ambassadorial Commendation for her contribution to the cultural exchange between Australia and Japan.

In particular, between Sika Art University, Kyoto & Canberra School of Art; and the cities of Nara & Canberra.

2006 Award for an essay on "Aged Care in Australia", presented by Sankei Press Newspaper, Tokyo, Japan.

2004 Commissioned to create a 'Sister City Monument' in Queanbeyan, Canberra.

2000 Five year Visiting Fellowship at the Australian National University, Canberra.

2000 Awarded the Artist of the Year by the Canberra Times.

1998 Lecturer in Residence at Sika Art University, Kyoto, Japan

COLLECTIONS

Art Galleries of NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, & WA; Australian National Gallery, Canberra; Auckland Museum, New Zealand;

Australian Embassies in Washington (USA), Tokyo (Japan), & New Delhi (India); Australian National University, Canberra;

The Australia Council, Sydney, NSW; Cities of Fremantle (WA), Manly (NSW), Newcastle (NSW), Orange (NSW),

& Shepparton (VIC); Canberra University, ACT; Craftbank, VIC; Department of Foreign Affairs, Canberra;

Government House, Canberra; High Court of Australia, Canberra; New Parliament House, Canberra; Japanese Embassy,

Canberra; Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; USIS Centre, Canberra.