Solo Exhibition 'Australiana Dreamer' 2021

23 Feb

My solo exhibition opens this week and for the first time ever, I actually feel relaxed and organised. Maybe because I haven't had a solo exhibition in over a year I had allot of time to prepare! Here is my artist statement followed by photos of the gallery and of the artworks.

Australiana Dreamer

Artist Statement

This exhibition explores both a state of permanency and ephemerality; a deep connection to place and an ever-changing landscape. It is an ode to home; to something familiar. These whimsical etchings reflect on my journey of travelling up the East Coast of Australia and moving to Brisbane last year. This shift in my life left me clutching onto anything that felt remotely permanent and grounding. My relationship with nature and landscape changed as I became dependant, realising that sense of identity and belonging is one of humanities deepest needs.

This body of work explores a playful, almost childlike perspective of home and a longing for home. I have hand painted each etching using acrylics, gouache, watercolours, gold leaf and gold pigment to capture that warmth and feeling of home. I have incorporated Australian plants, native and otherwise, to celebrate the importance of environment and connection to place. The motifs, warm sepia tones and gold leaf invites nostalgia into this exhibition where I am reminded of those words from The Wizard of Oz, ‘There’s no place like home’. In which case, from my experience this past year, perhaps is true.