The Red Centre holds a unique position in the psyche and mythology of all Australians. This exhibition enables you to journey with me as I connect with and explore the majesty and extremes of the desert.

Deserts have long been spaces of encounter and challenge, places that seem limitless through which we experience our own physical and metaphysical limits. In the desert wilderness we can inhabit solitude and silence, connecting with ourselves, others, nature and the path of dreaming. 

I made the plein air paintings in this exhibition while on a 3-week residency in the Red Centre in April 2024. As I immersed in the environment of the MacDonnell Ranges, I was able to connect profoundly with the landscape, exploring the desert’s mystical, sacred and environmental significance.

At a time of unprecedented focus on what it means to be an Australian inhabiting this land, when the impacts of climate change are being felt across both urban and non-urban communities, where people are experiencing less connection with nature, greater social and physical isolation and increased reliance on technology, my paintings invite a reconsideration of the importance of the Central deserts.