RICHES OF ISOLATION | Traversing Western Australia’s Treasures

Exploring the riches in our region through the themes of Under the Sea, At the Edge, and Back of Beyond.

ARTIST: Marina Lommerse

ART EXHIBITION OPENING: Friday 6 May | 6:00 to 8:30pm

ART EXHIBITION DURATION: Saturday 7 May to Sunday 29 May

ARTIST’S TALK: Sunday 15 May | 1:00pm

ARTIST’S DEMONSTRATION: Saturdays and Sundays | 11:00am to 3:00pm

My art remembers the many conversations I’ve had with Western Australians during the pandemic. Their desire to go. Anywhere. To be somewhere new. And the treasures they have discovered by exploring places within their reach. We have been restricted to our state and territories for two years, and I travelled with many as I bushwalked, bird watched and snorkelled through wild areas of Western Australia and its territories. Much of the landscape, flora, fauna and cultural history is unique to the remote Kimberley and Christmas Island regions. These riches are a metaphor for new experiences, and the discovery of what has always been there — but mostly unseen by western eyes.

I did extensive plein air studies en route. Back in my studio, I re-entered the magic of land and sea through the looking glass, using watercolour, collage, photography, charcoal, and digital media. I painted a series of Western Australian stories. In these works, I celebrate the freedom of exploring our natural environment. In this exhibition, I share our place-specific, culturally significant gifts.