A sense of dislocation and disconnection profoundly influenced my concept of identity and connection, distorted through the process of adoption. Here I celebrate the women who settled here in the Western Plains of regional NSW, and seek to create connections with their stories.

Remaining close to the media of embroidery and needlework I linked the traditional women’s work found in local museums, recognising in it an opportunity to re-combine these skills in a new way that allowed me to move forward, see value and place importance on practices that have always been a part of my life.

“You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you have been” –  Maya Angelou

With regional towns closed with COVID I freed myself from the structure of colonial gardens, exploring instead plants on verges of the natural landscape.  Following Anna Atkins botanical work with cyanotype, I gathered objects, botanical material and photographs creating new layers of meaning, suspending the vesica shaped canvases to retell their stories in a contemporary setting.

In acknowledging the women of this region I hope to spark conversations of reminiscing and wonder, a celebration of women’s ability to adapt, create and endure life’s changes, and to recognise, value and carry forward their achievements.