Oasis

Oasis
2024
acrylic on linen
100 x 70cm
I completed my PhD on vision and perception and so I have a profound interest in how our eyes and brain work together to interpret the world around us. People often assume that our vision and memory function like a camera, providing an objective and precise representation of our surroundings. However, this is far from the truth. Our brain filters and modifies what we see based on what is important to us, both as a species and as individuals. This means that each person who views a work of art perceives it in a different way, and so the artwork is recreated anew every time it is seen. In this work, I took images of everyday objects and abstracted and rearranged them until they became unrecognisable. The result is something that feels familiar yet remains elusive, compelling viewers to look within themselves to understand what they see, and why. With this piece I also wanted to explore and challenge the dimensionality of the work, blending aspects of both 2D and 3D art. As an Indigenous artist who grew up disconnected from my identity, I often feel caught between the traditional 2D art associated with Aboriginal culture and the 3D art that is valued in European societies. In this artwork I refuse to conform to either expectation, instead embracing a fusion of both dimensions.