Meet the Makers | Cut & Paste | Launchpad Exhibition

Join us for a relaxed conversation with local artists Lee Seaman and Gemma Kirschner as they celebrate their new exhibition, Cut & Paste.

Bringing two local artists together, Cut & Paste explores the joy and magic of storytelling through collage. The exhibition features Lee Seaman’s imaginative sculptures—plucked straight from the pages of picture books—alongside Gemma Kirschner’s charming illustrations inspired by her childhood favourites. At its heart, Cut & Paste is an invitation to rediscover the joy of stories, celebrate the act of making, and see the extraordinary potential within the everyday.

Join us and meet the makers behind the exhibition, flick through their sketchbooks, learn about their creative processes, and explore the exhibition.

Gemma Kirschner

Gemma Kirschner is a mixed media illustrator and potter living in Newcastle. She explores ideas of ‘home’ and ‘belonging’ through her work, often finding inspiration in the patchwork of scenes and characters found in her town and local community garden. She creates textural pieces through use of collage, working with collected paper and watercolour.

Lee Seaman

Lee Seaman is a Newcastle (Awabakal)–based artist whose practice explores sustainability through the creation of handmade papier-mâché from recycled materials. With a background in graphic design spanning a decade, Lee now teaches art to children, fostering creativity and environmental awareness while reimagining the aesthetic potential of discarded objects.