Kalbarri resident Sue Malton gathers some of her possessions for possible submission in the Kalbarri Zest Festival’s ‘Taste and Desire; the power of the beautiful’ exhibition.

Kalbarri Zest Festival organisers are calling on Mid West andShark Bay residents to submit objects of “power and beauty”for a festival arts project and exhibition.

Zest Festival director Rebecca Millar urged interested people to submit the items, or a photograph of them, and their related stories for display in the ‘Taste and Desire; the power of the beautiful’ exhibition on the Zest Festival weekend in Kalbarri on September 19 and 20.

Ms Millar said the items and their stories would be curated alongside projected images of Asian artefacts and musings on the emotions that surround the power of the beautiful.

“In keeping with this year’s Zest Festival’s focus on the Orient, this exhibition will explore the power of objects by focusing on the imperial collections of Chinese emperors and Japanese shoguns in the 17th and 18th centuries,” she said.

“It will consider the impact that traded exotic Asian artefacts had on the tastes and desires of Europeans.”

Ms Millar said community submissions could range from anything from a treasured crafted box containing love letters to a tea cup ori-Phone.

“We want people to think about the items in their lives and which ones symbolise powerful emotions,” she said.

“Is it your coffee cup or the humble tea cup? Is it the box that contains your love letters and children’s hair locks hidden away? Is it your grandfather’s old tobacco tin containing his war medals or that casserole dish that has served meals to your family for generations? Is it your first car which brings you freedom or your iPhone that is the vessel that holds all your social connections?

“You may just have an object that you feel is exceptionally beautiful - we want to know why and what emotions it evokes. Or perhaps you have beautiful objects that are Made in China or Made in Japan - we are interested in these too.

Mr Millar encouraged people to tell the story of why they had chosen the object, explaining its connection to the power and beauty theme.

To be considered for exhibition, interested participants should send an expression of interest form, available at www.zestfest.com.au/expression-of-interest-form/and a photograph of their object.

Expressions of Interest should be mailed to Rebecca Millar by 14 August 2015.

The Kalbarri Zest Festival is a five-year festival commemorating the 300th anniversary of the sinking of the Dutch East India merchant ship, the Zuytdorp on the cliffs north of Kalbarri.

The festival will bring together entertainment, art, music, theatre, puppetry, games, cultural activities and foods in a two-day celebration of culture open to locals and visitors alike.

This project is funded by the Community Arts Network WA, Catalyst Community Arts Fund.

Zest Festival is sponsored by the State Government through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Scheme, which is jointly funded by Royalties for Regions.

The Zest Festival is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

For more information visit the website www.zestfest.com.au.