Kris-Ann Ehrich’s fascination with sculpture began in childhood but it was not until 2004 that she commenced studies with a Brisbane-based sculptor, creating mainly ceramic pieces but progressing to casting her work in bronze a couple of years later.
Her portfolio of ceramic and bronze sculptures has, over time, propelled her towards an evolving trajectory exploring figurative, religious and mythical icons. The human condition with its frailties, emotion and vulnerability continues to inspire her.
Since 2011, Kris-Ann has worked as an independent sculptor and has completed several important commissions. One of her most significant commissions was securing the Gallipoli project that saw her design and manufacture life-sized bronze busts of the nine Australian soldiers and one New Zealand soldier who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915.
Other commissions include Stations of the Cross for a Catholic school chapel; a life-sized portrait of Blessed E.I. Rice, a life-sized portrait of a Brisbane actor; and several portraits for private collectors. Her work has been selected for inclusion in Contemporary Masters Volume VII and Important Artists of the World, Volume 1. Kris-Ann has been invited to exhibit in the United States and Europe.
Lisa Catherine Ehrich is an educational leadership consultant and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Formerly, she served for twenty-four years as an academic at QUT. She has co-authored nine books, over 100 refereed papers, 34 book chapters and presented her research at international and national conferences.
It was during a sabbatical in 2011 that she commenced working with Fenwick English on several research projects that continue to this day. In 2016, Routledge published their first book, Leading Beautifully: Educational Leadership as Connoisseurship. For this book, they interviewed ten artists, one of whom was Kris-Ann Ehrich (Lisa’s sister) and the seeds of their collaboration were sewn.
Since 2013, Lisa has studied ceramics with Kris-Ann. Lisa is delighted that her ceramic pieces are included in this collection alongside her sister’s work, and accompanied by Fenwick’s insightful and emotive words.
Fenwick W. English is the author and poet/photographer of this book. He is a former school teacher and administrator, and for the past twenty-five years a professor of educational leadership at more than seven US universities. His research on leadership has been conducted in America, Australia and England. He is the author or co-author of more than forty books over a thirty-year time period. He began writing poetry in college for the literary magazine and has continued to write poems on and off since then. He met Lisa Catherine Ehrich in 2011 when she came to study with him in the U.S. Together, they co-authored the book Leading Beautifully: Educational Leadership as Connoisseurship released in 2016. As part of the book, he met and interviewed Kris-Ann Ehrich and began to follow her work as a commissioned artist.
