After relocating my studio in 2021, to the green and lush lands of the Bundjalung Nation (Northern Rivers of NSW) surrounded by mountains, rivers and rainforests, I became aware of the politics at work within the local community. The counterculture communities and regenerative farming practices on one side and the logging industry and environmental destruction on the other. As a response to this duality I began a new body of works in both paint and clay.
In this exhibition I present recent ceramic sculptures and painted plates which reference a variety of forest related themes, myths and beliefs. From timber getters and hippie protesters to Kodama, Japanese tree spirits which inhabit trees, to ancient pagan symbols of the Green Man and the ancient Roman god, Janus, both of whom signify transformations, beginnings and endings, entrances, exits, and passageways. They guard the metaphysical gate between the material and immaterial worlds. I may live in a place where old values and new ideas collide, but no-one can deny the power and importance of ancient woodlands, the value they have to all societies in replenishing bio diversity, the stability they give to the climate and environment, and the way they nurture our spiritual selves and promote mental wellbeing.
