Cecilia Heffer
Education
2022 - Doctor of Philosophy (Fashion & Textiles) RMIT.
1995 - MA Textile Design, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London
1987 - Fine Art Painting Higher Diploma, National Art School, East Sydney
Academic Experience
2005 -Present - Textile Lead / Senior Lecturer, Fashion & Textiles, University Technology, Sydney
2009–2013 - Director of Program, Fashion & Textiles, University Technology, Sydney
Key Exhibitions
2025 Second Look: Legacy, a group exhibition showcasing contemporary textile practices, 29 November 2025 - February 2026, Australian Design Centre
2025 Lace as Sound: experimental textiles, graphic music scores, animation. Solo exhibition, 11-19 October, Barometer Gallery, Paddington, Sydney Craft Week
2025 Seamless: a showcase of diverse creative research projects exploring Shima Seiki knit technology. University of Technology, group exhibition and symposium 11-25 October.
2025 Shadow Traces in 50 Plus: celebrating 50 years of Tamworth Regional Gallery’s Fibre Textile Collection (5 April -20 July) Group exhibition, Ararat Gallery, Victoria. Acquired by Tamworth Regional Gallery in 2008, exhibited in Momentum, 18th Tamworth Textile Biennial, curated by Valerie Kirk.
2024, 2021 Second Look: response, remade + experimental textiles (Sydney Craft Week) group exhibition curated by Liz Williamson and Barbara Rodgers, Barometer Gallery, Paddington.
2023 Transform, Shirts Reimagined (23 July—10 September), group exhibition curated by Liz Williamson & Barbara Rodgers, Sturt Gallery, Mittagong, Barometer Gallery, Paddington (6- 22 October), Sydney Craft Week.
2023 Powerhouse Museum Research Fellowship: exploring archival lace as sound.
2022 Reimagining Lace as an ephemeral (p)lace marker. Animation lace installation Design Hub, RMIT Melbourne 2022 Solo exhibition, Sheffer Gallery, Darlington (16 – 20 August).
2020 Eucalyptus Lace in group exhibition Petite Miniatures, Wangaratta Regional Art Gallery, Victoria
2021 Stitches in the Air: Lace animation presented at Biennial International Conference for the Craft Sciences BICCS 4-5 May 2021, Gothenburg University, Mariestad, Sweden.
2017 Data Lace, installation, UTS Library. 2018 GAFFA Gallery – Sydney Craft Week
2018 Drawn Threads Textile as Film, showcased in Textiles and Place conference, Manchester School of Design.
2016 -14 Group Exchange: 2nd Tamworth Textile Triennial, curator. This national touring exhibition, hosted by the Tamworth Regional Gallery, showcases the work of twenty-two Australian artists exploring collaboration.
2015 Bongers B, Heffer C. Extending Textile Materials Through Tangible Interaction – 9th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, Stanford University, California
2014 Bongers B, Heffer C. ‘Pattern Stations’ in Embracing Innovation Group Exhibition VOL 4: Craft Act Canberra.
2014 Traceries, an installation for the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House & Craft ACT, Canberra, was a group exhibition showcased in the Canberra Design Festival.
2013 Drawn Threads in 14th International Tapestry Triennial, group show, Central Museum of Textiles, Lódz, Poland, Museum acquisition.
2013 Laced in Wangaratta Contemporary Textiles Awards, National Group Show, Wangaratta Regional Gallery, Victoria
2012 Motherland in Negotiating this world: Contemporary Australian Art, group show celebrating fifty years of the Living Australian Artist Fund Victoria, 28 Sep 2012 – 24 Feb 2013. The Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Museum acquisition.
2012 7th International Fibre Art Biennale Exhibition, Beijing, China, group show. Awarded an Honorary mention
2012 Antique Lace in Petite Miniatures, group show, Wangaratta Regional Gallery, Victoria, Museum acquisition.
2011-2013 Inter-Lace in the International Love Lace Awards, Powerhouse Museum, curated by Lindie Ward. Interlace was awarded runner-up in the Digital Lace category.
2011 Sensorial Loop, The 1st Tamworth Textile Triennial, Tamworth Regional Gallery, Curated by Patrick Snelling, Director of Textiles RMIT. National tour 2011-13
2010 Lace Narratives, Contemporary Lace works, solo exhibition, Damien Minton, Sydney
2010 RE-loved: Designer Stories, group show, Sydney Design Week. Curated by Jane Latief, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2010 INSIDE-OUT Rapid Prototype Sculptural, group show, Object Gallery, Sydney
2009 Laced in the Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Awards, Victoria, group show.
2008 Artist in Residency. Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London
2008 Shadow Traces in Momentum 18th Textile Biennial, Tamworth, Australia, group show. Museum Acquisition, Tamworth Regional Textile Collection.
2007 To Furnish a Future Program, The Historic Houses Trust, Lace Curtains commission for the State Rooms of Government House, Sydney
2007 Lace:Contemporary Textiles and other works, Solo Exhibition and Catalogue Launch. DAB LAB, University of Technology Sydney. Museum Acquisition, Powerhouse Museum. Funded by the Australia Council Visual Arts Established Artist Grant
2006 LACED, solo exhibition, Sheffer Gallery Sydney. Funded by the Australia Council Visual Arts under the New Emerging Works Grant