Ghosts of Gondwana – Solo Exhibition
From Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, I will be presenting Ghosts of Gondwana, In the Company of Trees, a solo exhibition at The Little Red Cottage art + ecology space in Maleny.
This exhibition has grown slowly.
It began with an idea about Gondwana rainforest, deep time and the traces of ancient plant life that remain with us. Over the past year, that idea has evolved as I have spent time on a very special private property in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
The land there was once logged and later used for agriculture, as was much of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It was then neglected and overtaken by lantana. The property is now being carefully restored towards rainforest, and hopefully back to its original botanical state.
There are many old trees on the property. Trees that have endured change. Trees that have remained through clearing, weather, growth and renewal. Trees that have become witnesses, survivors and companions. Trees that grew from dormant seeds sleeping below the forest floor, patiently waiting for the sun to kiss life back into them.
I have walked among them, photographed them, listened to them, and looked closely at bark, leaves, roots, seeds, shadows and canopy. I have watched new growth gather around older trees. I have become increasingly aware of how much is held within a living landscape, and how much can return when a place is given care and time.
The work reflects my awe and respect for these trees.
It also looks at endurance, resilience, vulnerability, tolerance, interconnectedness and belonging.
Through printmaking and artist books, photography and poetry, I have tried to respond to the trees as I have come to know them. Not as specimens, but as living presences.
The exhibition brings together an entirely new body of work created specifically for Ghosts of Gondwana. Much of it has grown through experimentation, allowing familiar processes to move in unexpected directions.
Some of the species featured in the exhibition carry clear connections to ancient plant lineages. Others sit further along those evolutionary branches. Together, they speak to a much longer story of survival, adaptation and change.
This is not a scientific study.
It is an artist’s response to time spent with trees.
The exhibition also honours the people who own and care for the property. I am deeply grateful for the access they have given me and for the trust they have placed in me by allowing me to spend time there. Their ongoing work to restore the land forms an important part of the story behind this exhibition.
Ghosts of Gondwana is a hopeful exhibition.
It looks at a recovering landscape and asks what becomes possible when care continues.
I hope the work invites you to slow down, look closely and spend time in the company of trees.
Exhibition Details
Ghosts of Gondwana
In the company of trees
Exhibition Dates
Saturday 17 October–Sunday 1 November 2026
Open 10am-4pm Thursday–Sunday
Tuesday–Wednesday by appointment
I will be at the exhibition each day it is open.
Opening Event
4-6pm Saturday 17 October 2026
Location
The Little Red Cottage art+ecology space
20 Coral Street, Maleny Qld 4552
Thank you, Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of the Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation’s Gifted Program.
The Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation’s Gifted Program supports local artists across a range of disciplines, providing funding toward the development, production or presentation of new work. The program is made possible through philanthropic giving and helps artists bring their creative projects to life on the Sunshine Coast.
Their generous support has given me the time and resources to develop this body of work and bring Ghosts of Gondwana to The Little Red Cottage. I am deeply grateful for their belief in the project and for the role they play in supporting artists across the Sunshine Coast.
