“This work is a meditation on a memory of my father-in-law that my husband retold to me. His dad asked him (on a long drive up north) to get out of the car and find himself the size of a piece of earth that you can make with your hands, and to examine every tiny little thing in it. This quiet and contemplative act resonates with my husband’s own parenting style and every detail that one focus’s in on as an act of love, when a loved one passes on. Each of the 390 pieces (acts of love) used to create this work (my own emotional landscape) is gifted with love from a shared cutting, a special find from a neighbours garden, many gifts of growth requiring ongoing care, transformed with the alchemy of gifted bits of metal cast to recreate the colour palette of its earthy origins.”

“My mother Jacqueline was a committed Catholic living in Mauritius. In 1990, she gifted me twelve napkins that she had embroidered with flowers for me.

Our relationship was subsequently rocked when I came out as a gay man. It took painful years to find a space, like the mandorla, where our worlds could overlap. Until she died, we manoeuvred tension and topics that remained unspoken as well as renewed joy and laughter.

As a meditation on my mother’s legacy, I embroidered excerpts from her favourite handwritten recipes, on the twelve napkins, with the same brand of DMC embroidery thread that she had used. The napkins are folded like a bishop’s mitre to reference my mother’s former dinner party table settings and the Church.

In the quietude of embroidering, my mother and I host a feast.”

“This painting is about my love for my country, for my Aboriginal family, my ancestors, our traditions & my love for Jesus. It’s been a long road to arrive here. During my younger years I struggled with many things in life. Nothing worked out the way I wanted it to. I had pretty rough times, but I was always humble in my ways. I was an alcoholic, drinking seven days a week, walking around dirty. I felt no one loved me. My love life was very bad. In 2008, I lost my eldest son and became even more sad for myself. I felt like doing something bad to myself. My family was always there for me. I buried my son in Bow River. In 2017 I felt something come over me. I was led to a Bible reading at a Church called assembly of God, where I was reborn again. I gave my heart and life to Jesus Christ forever.”

“I remember visiting the old shearing shed before I was of school age. It was still in use two times a year. It had a patina I could see but could never understand. The sheep skin that hung on the wooden fence outside the shed looked as if it hung silent for the past 15 years. Too afraid to revisit and speak of its original purpose.  

In this short video, a farmer demonstrates his love and connection to his work – his sheep. Both obligated and passionate to care for them, he explains his heritage and calling to the task. However, the inner-drives run deeper than tradition or passion. In this case the farmer’s love that is demonstrated comes from loss.” 

“Pietà was born after a vivid dream of a fragmented artwork pivoting around a central cross. Translating this into a miniature rough, I began to envisage motherhood in light of Christ’s death and resurrection. On a larger art board, new layers emerged, enhanced by collage papers and textured acrylic glazes. The stylised figures embody seen and unseen acts of maternal love. Amidst this kaleidoscopic realm, the cross gleams as a poignant symbol of supreme love, refracting light onto the ever-changing facets of motherhood. Shifting focus to the grander vista, an unexpected portrait of Christ subtly emerged, prompting a profound realisation. Love in deed mirrors the divine love we receive. Within the complexities of maternal love lies a simple focus: We love because He first loved us.”