Uncomfortable in Love is a visual expression of a complex situation. I have fallen deeply in love and our relationship has coaxed me far out of my comfort zone. Each drawing picks apart a feeling, an anxiety, a confusion, a pleasure, and attempts to convey this inner turmoil. Animals symbolise myself and my discomfort. Him and our lust. Envy and the presence of others.

How strenuous to be a monogamous woman in love with a non-monogamous man. How embarrassing and absurd to define this dynamic to the public, but how joyous to spend time with him.

And now I find myself quite comfortable. I am supported, and loved.

Four or so years has been enough time for me to grow trust and nurture a content peace. Only a small piece of grit remains to agitate me, but this skerrick of discomfort keeps me energised and excited.

Catalogue

Exhibition dates. 1 - 13 July 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 2 July 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Something from Nothing

The moment I stick my hands in the dirt of the garden I feel a connection to this world that makes me feel a belonging to something greater, well beyond my existence. Gardening anchors me to the earth, connects me to this land and opens up mysterious realms within my head that become possibilities in art making.

The plants I’ve grown have become like family members. I’ve dug them in, watered them, marvelled at them when they’ve developed new foliage or grown taller. Watched parrots come in screeching for their flowers, observed the shapes of their seedpods.
Gardening and art are creating something from nothing; a seed or a single idea come from the emptiness of space to think, lifted on the wind they come to land and become something bigger than their beginnings.

This exhibition centres around plants I’ve grown, the native birds they attract and glimpses into domestic life, travelling and the very centre of it all, the body. It’s a thank you to the universe for the flock of twenty new holland honey eaters flitting into the yard to feast on a favourite bush and for the luxury of creating treasures with my bare hands, in a world where everything is made so quickly and there is so much waste.

Christine Martin is an artist working predominantly in pen and ink, creating detailed illustrations that focus on the subject matter of native Australian birds and flowers. She extends her creative practice through screen printing, linocut and painting public murals.

Her garden forms the inspiration for much of her work with plantings of grevilleas, waxflowers, kangaroo paws and flowering gums inviting wattle birds, mudlarks, magpies and the occasional spotted pardalote in, to be watched and sketched as they feed on insects and the nectar.

STILL LIFE

Traditionally tied to domesticity, beauty, mortality, and material culture, the still life has long invited quiet reflection. In contemporary art, the genre is being reimagined—no longer just about objects, but about presence, absence, and transformation.

This exhibition explores how artists today are expanding the still life, using it to question permanence, engage memory, and reflect on our shifting relationship with the material world.

Artists : Elaine Batton, Fran Max, Mr Dimples, Melanie Bardolia, Nick Heynsbergh, Olga Tsara and VKM

Elaine Batton

Elaine is a graduate from Photography Studies college. Her fine art photography works are influenced by paintings through the ages and seeks to celebrate beauty and colour. As a visual artist she strives to ensure that beauty in fine art and nature continues to be explored and enjoyed.

She has exhibited solo and as part of groups around Australia, and was a finalist in the 2016 & 2017 Bowness Prize, in the 2016 & 2018 Fremantle Art Centre Print Award, a finalist in the 2021 Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize, the 2021 Wyndham Art Prize. the 2024 Omnia Art prize and Finalist in the PCP (perth centre for photography) CLIP award 2024

Catalogue

Fran Max

Fran Max is a full-time Australian artist represented by Jumbled and The Toowoomba Gallery, with international representation in the USA. Known for her playful and uplifting style, Fran creates work that brings joy to her audience.

She was the winner of the 2024 People’s Choice Award at Corner Store Gallery (Orange, NSW) and a finalist in Inside This Box. Her work has been featured in several publications and listed as an “Artist to Watch” by Vanity Fair UK.

Fran is currently preparing for three upcoming exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

Catalogue

Melanie Bardolia

Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and now based in Melbourne, Melanie is an oil painter who creates dynamic and evocative works using a vibrant colourist palette and bold impasto marks. Her approach merges abstraction and realism, blending the emotive qualities of her subjects with painterly expressions. Her process celebrates the beauty and emotion that arise from everyday moments, portraying her subjects in a style that balances spontaneity with intent. She was a finalist in the Still Life Prize at TACIT Galleries, National Emerging Art Prize at Michael Reid Galleries, and Quadrant Gallery’s Emerging Artists Summer Exhibition.

Catalogue

Mr Dimples

Mr Dimples was born one terrifying night when a prowler tried to break into his home. To get his mind off the event, he created art to release his frustrations. Influenced by the art of Tim Burton, Mr Dimples then started to create monsters based on people and events that annoyed him. His well-known characters are predominately seen on the streets of Bendigo, usually with the Paste up technique. His street art techniques were learnt through his association with Blender Studios in Melbourne, where he was introduced to paste ups, stenciling and free hand spraying. Mr Dimples is a local street artist working from his home studio. He also is an Arts/Woodwork teacher at a school in the Loddon Shire. Some of his work includes murals at Boris Murgers, Killiecrankie wines, Miller Street Bridge underpass and Chancery Lane.

Catalogue

Nick Heynsbergh

Nick Heynsbergh is a visual artist working across a range of media including painting, drawing and printmaking. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Art with Honours at RMIT in 2013. He has held solo exhibitions at various galleries in Melbourne, and participated in local and international group shows. In 2020 and 2021 he was an exhibiting finalist in a number of art prizes, and was highly commended by the judges in the Macquarie Emerging Artist Prize, Elaine Birmingham Watercolour Prize and National Capital Art Prize. Recently, his practice has reflected on experiences and memories relating to queer identity, to encourage viewers to engage with the lived experiences and perspectives of members of the LGBTIQA+ community. Additionally, his works aim to promote the sharing of experiences between LGBTIQA+ viewers to generate new community bonds and strengthen existing ones.

Catalogue

Olga Tsara

Working in oils and collage, this practice draws on classical techniques to explore beauty, narrative, and the absurd. Using personal, vintage, and found photographs, the work is shaped by two decades immersed in photographic archives, revealing a deep interest in the truths and fictions of imagery.

Catalogue

VKM

VKM is a an Australian artist whose photography work extends into the intricate realm of monotone stencil art. Known for her finely detailed skater stencils and street scenes, she has carved a disinct voice in the street art community,featuring on walls in Australia, India, Paris, Glasgow and London. From her studio she also creates works on canvas, metal and repurposed signage and exhibits in art prizes, solo and group shows.

Her artistic practice thrives within the intersection of studio work and public art, both sharing a distinct hallmark of photorealism infused with a sense of fluidity and motion. She employs a diverse palette of mediums, including aerosol, Japanese inks, and mixed media.

Catalogue

WINDOW ROOM : NATALIE IRELAND

Exhibition dates. 1 - 13 July 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 2 July 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Nashe Dite

Natalie started learning glass-fusing and slumping techniques in 2013. Since then, glass has had a massive impact on her life, inspiring a glass studio at her home in Melbourne, Australia.

A signature quality of her pieces are their fun and quirky patterns and bold colour. As a bonus, no two pieces will ever be exactly the same.

CATALOGUE

John McArthur is an Australian artist who has lived in Hong Kong since 1999. Inspired by the city's vibrant culture, especially Cantonese opera, his work blends drawing, painting, and calligraphy. Based at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC), where he runs his studio “Spitting Gecko 泉湧壁虎,” John also hosts workshops, exhibitions, and public art events. His art, influenced by both local life and his travels, is featured in private collections worldwide. Formally trained in Australia, he continues to refine his craft through international courses and collaborations with the Hong Kong art community.

CATALOGUE

Maya’s work examines cultural beauty standards, with a particular focus on the 1940s—a period that marked a complex intersection of glamour, gender roles, and societal expectations. Her paintings explore the tension between the celebration of beauty and the often unattainable ideals imposed on women. Through stylized depictions of women in various personas, Maya’s art offers both critique and homage.

Known for her distinctive visual language and authentic style, Maya creates work that is both personal and provocative. Drawing on her experiences with autism and mental health, Maya channels her challenges into a powerful creative force. Her art is a vehicle for resilience, self-expression, and connection.

CATALOGUE

Castor and Pollux

Castor and Pollux are twins, one mortal, the other immortal. They cannot bear to be separated, so live half their lives on earth, half in the Underworld of the dead. In Greek mythology they personify the riddle of duality: the interweaving of absence and presence, intellect and intuition, of the tangible and intangible.

The work Castor and Pollux explores this duality and the potential to merge and connect.

I'm fascinated by the qualities inherent in materials, and by the way they resonate when used together.

I found the coal used in this piece in Eastern Victoria, where coal deposits are estimated to be 1.6 million years old. Washed up by the tides on certain beaches there it suggests the ineffable co-existence of past and present time, and the potential for transformation and return.

Pamela Rataj was born in Germany and educated in Australia, France and Germany. She now lives and works in Melbourne. 
Her practice includes sculpture, painting and installation. Rataj has collaborated with composers and performance artists in creating ephemeral installations for public spaces, performed in the Adelaide Festival of Arts and public events in Melbourne, Paris and Stuttgart. 
Rataj has received Cultural and Project Development Grants in Victoria and South Australia, and completed Residencies in Paris, New York and the Ruhr region, Germany. She has been finalist in numerous national prizes including the Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award (2013), Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition and Awards (2016), the Wyndham Art Prize (2017, 2018), and the Fisher's Ghost Award (2021). Rataj has exhibited in galleries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Paris, and her work is represented in Artbank and in private and corporate collections in Australia and internationally.

Castor and Pollux_coal, glass, leather, plexiglass, wax, wire_190x39x39cm

NFS

GROUP SHOW

Abstract artists never sleep

Exhibition dates. 29 July - 10 Aug 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 30 July 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Presented by Creative Space Hawthorn, an untutored abstract art group based at the Hawthorn Artist Society

In this latest group exhibition “Abstract Artists Never Sleep,” fourteen Melbourne-based artists come together to delve into the expressive power of abstraction.

This exhibition invites viewers into a world beyond representation—where emotion, gesture, form, and colour take centre stage. Through a wide range of styles and mediums, the works explore the essence of experience and perception, offering a visual language that is at once personal and open to interpretation.

From bold, dynamic compositions to quiet, contemplative marks, Abstract artists never sleep reflects the rich diversity of voices within our group, and the many ways abstraction can be used to convey feeling, memory, and mood. This show is a celebration of creative freedom and the evolving language of contemporary abstract art.

Artists

Alex Bridge, Amanda Lugg, Christine Sender, Devyani Sadalkar, Irene Henning, Kathy Best, Ken Wight, Lynne Kells, Nathan Moshinsky, Paula Reade, Penny Darling, Ria Tims, Susan Tait and Traecey Bremner

Alex Bridge

Light, energy, emotion - Alex Bridge is interested in the visual experience of looking at art. Brushstrokes, colour and texture are used to explore perception, light and materiality.  

Gestural marks are made with paint applied directly by hand as well as brush. These sinuous lines reveal organic shapes drawn from nature and the human body. The progression of a work remains with brushstrokes raw and immediate. The texture of the media used, the energy of the marks and the juxtaposition of colours are all important parts of the whole.

Catalogue

Amanda Lugg

Putting colour onto a surface is one of the most satisfying experiences.How that colour gets there, whether by brush, knife, scraper, gluing or another way is how the work progresses and takes form.

Generally I do not have a predetermined idea of where I want the work to go, but as I keep working on the surface, so I find inspiration and frequently the influence of my travels and environment emerge.

With my abstract work I seek to avoid creating a readily identifiable subject. I hope to provide a work which encourages the viewer to look in, and to look out and so in the process find their own subject.

It frequently surprises me when a viewer sees things that I have not, and yet once seen cannot be unseen.

Catalogue

Christine Sender

Colour, light, sound, and a certain energy and vibrancy: it goes without saying that this is Morocco. Its landscape and people are the inspiration for these artworks.

I found an energy in the Atlas mountains, in apparently un-inhabited valleys that are sometimes lush oases, in ancient ksars and kasbars standing proudly and timelessly and in a desert camp looking at a mirage at dusk. The market place, ancient labyrinthic laneways and a soup kitchen evidence a palpable life force.

I hope through these abstract works using acrylic, oil and cold wax and collage bring you some of the magnetism of Morocco.

Catalogue

Devyani Sadalkar

I paint abstract because it feels free — just like nature. Nature throws colours and shapes together in the wildest ways, and somehow it always works. That boldness inspires me. There are no rules out there, and I love bringing that same energy into my art.

I don’t start with a plan. I follow a feeling. I let the process guide me — the movement, the textures, the contrast, even the surprises. That’s what makes it real for me. Painting is where I can just be myself — no filters, no pressure.

I paint to stay connected — to what I feel, to the moment, and to the raw. 

Catalogue

Irene Henning

Catalogue

Kathy Best

"I see the world and I paint it" Kathy Best

Kathy creates bold, expressive acrylic abstracts and contemporary paintings based on observation of the world around her. She sometimes paints loosely from reference photos or memory. Other times she lets the paint and marks on the canvas guide her. Kathy’s works explore colour relationships, movement, shapes and layers.

Kathy has been painting consistently since 2008 under the guidance of many tutors and in 2023 completed a Diploma in Visual Arts.

“Take a look, take a 2nd look and take a longer look – I love putting my work out there.” Kathy Best

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Ken Wight

I’m late into art but immediately found that the creative challenge Abstract Expression offered was highly stimulating and satisfying. I also love hunting around for different materials in op shops and hard rubbish!

Catalogue

Lynne Kells

Creating on Wurundjeri Country, Lynne’s artworks feature detailed explorations of media and themes. Over fifteen years exhibiting in group and solo shows at galleries and events, Lynne has an identity in the art world. Highlights are works bought for corporate collections and three made into cards (MS Plus & Classic Moves). Employment with children, as a Gallery Assistant, Toy Entertainer (Myer SA), aiding Art groups for disabled, and as a ceramic decorator at Robert Gordon have contributed to a unique outlook. Challenged as a disabled pensioner, Lynne’s art stands out with distinctive style and is not to be missed.

Catalogue

Nathan Moshinsky

Nathan has a passion for drawing and painting and has engaged in an arts practice for over 30 years. He has exhibited in many solo shows and group shows organised mainly by the Victorian Artists Society, the Hawthorn Artists Society and the Contemporary Artists Society of Victoria. Nathan has been awarded prizes for his paintings and gained a Diploma of Visual Art in 2012. He enjoys practising figurative and abstract art. In his work, he loves to use colour and composition to express his feelings.

Catalogue

Paula Reade

My interest in art was apparent at a young age growing up in the South of France, and my passion for creativity continues today living and painting in Melbourne. I approach creativity with great enthusiasm; over the years my work has taken me to various avenues, having practised with different mediums with the aim of further developing my work . I typically paint with acrylic on canvas.

My inspiration stems from life experiences, nature, social interactions as well as history. Travelling to different parts of the world have inspired me and given me an opportunity to appreciate primitive and folk arts, which resonates with me. Personally, the creativity and expression in my art serves as a refuge, as well as a method of continuous self-discovery. I get great satisfaction when a piece of work is completed, and the journey of getting inspiration for my next work.

Catalogue

Penny Darling

My watercolour paintings explore the expressive potential of colour and texture. Watercolor inherently reminds me to embrace the unforeseen. The dynamic interaction of water and pigment often leads to happy accidents, recognizing the beauty in these unplanned outcomes fosters an instinctive approach, making them an integral part of this series.

Catalogue

Ria Tims

I am a self-taught European/Australian artist and started painting in 2012.

I have had both private and group tuition with Jenny Mitchell of Montsalvat Eltham and Walter Magilton from Warrandyte, both incredible artists and much admired.

I have an extensive creative family background including being a descendant of the famous Renaissance artist Jan Van Eyck, a very proud heritage.

I adore abstract and contemporary art and I am drawn to the vibrancy and energy of bright colours and love creating those types of artworks, it is the ultimate freedom of visual expression. “THERE ARE NO RULES” .

Catalogue

Susan Tait

Susan Tait is a Naarm/Melbourne born artist and painter whose work centres around gesture and materiality, creating expressive reflections on colour and form. Her early fascination with textile design is evident in her work through the exploration of highly visceral textural layering. Deeply inspired by the raw, harsh beauty of the Australian landscape, Susan uses acrylic paint, fabric, waxed cotton and pencil to create bold and tactile works. As much about what was covered, as what was left exposed, Susan’s canvases are often painted over many times until very few of the early strokes are visible. This lends an evocative depth to the works achieving a sense of mystery and of weathered, ancient timelessness as Susan continues to experiment, to layer, and interpret the landscape around her.

Catalogue

Traecey Bremner

Traecey is an explorer of art. Painting, drawing and sculpting in some capacity for much of her life; discovering new materials and ways of making art. Sharing art with others. Getting lost in art.

Initially studying visual language by completing a Bachelor of Design, and more recently participating in classes and travel with La Trobe College of Art and Design; she continues to participate in various classes to continue her exploration of art making.

More recently finding corrugated cardboard to be an excellent ground for paint, offering new possibilities for surface, shape and form.

Catalogue

FALCONERIS MARIMÓN

Exhibition Dates : 29 July - 10 August 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 30 July 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

City Corner

I am interested in the corner. Squares are not interesting in their straight lines but in the right-angled corners that they possess. A corner represents a detour, a shift, a turn. Direction, interests, and perspective are affected by the corners that the square generously offers 4 times, while we circulate it. The city corner is rough and worn out, just like a brick. It shows an on-site exploration of everyday life experiences. Many moments collide in the city corner. Many of which a city brick can be involved in.

My art practice utilizes the urban landscape as a medium of creation where ideas and concepts expand. By studying symbol semiotics, patterns within systems, and the nature of dissidences, I approach sculpture, installation, and performance with charisma and curiosity. Found urban objects and repurposed ready-mades are constantly featured in my works. I aim to challenge the viewers’ point of view to reconsider their position as individuals who are part of a complex social web.

Hope this is what you were expecting. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you as well as your thoughts on this material.

Excited on the body of work I have created for the exhibition. It ended up being works in paper and bricks around.

GROUP SHOW

I Waited for You (Winterlong)

Exhibition dates. 12 - 24 August 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 13 August 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

I Waited for You (Winterlong) is the fourth and final chapter in our year-long series of group exhibitions inspired by the seasons. This concluding exhibition turns to Winter—a time of retreat, reflection, and quiet transformation. It invites both artists and audiences to consider the emotional weight and poetic beauty of the coldest months in our calendar.

In this show, we proudly showcase a diverse group of Melbourne-based artists, each bringing their unique voice and vision to the theme. Through a range of mediums—drawing, painting, photography, and ceramics—the works explore the layered meanings of Winter. Some pieces evoke stillness and solitude, others capture the stark beauty of dormant landscapes or the comfort of interior spaces. There are reflections on longing, endurance, and the slow rhythms of time passing.

I Waited for You (Winterlong) speaks to the way Winter slows us down, asks us to notice the subtle, and challenges us to find warmth in unexpected places. This exhibition celebrates not just the season itself, but the richness of creative interpretation it inspires.

Curate by Tegan Iversen

Exhibiting artists: Aleisha Earp, Angela Cornish, Anjelie Beyer, Ann Iversen, Annie Walter, Bonnie Williams, Carly Candiloro, Chloe Shao, Claire Anderson Woolley, Darin Frankpitt, Deb Garrett, Diana Story, Elizabeth Nicholls, Emma Sjaan Beukers, Emma Winton, Emily Van Der Molen, Fabiola Ibanez, Fiona Davey, Freya Alexander, Grace Audrey, Grace Taylor, Gracie Wright, Guste Sakalauskaite, Holly Gregory, Jen Selmore, Jess Hall, Jiyu Hwang, Kat Weir, Katie Geppert, Lisa Han, Loupcho, Mark McCarthy, Meg Kolac, Mia Emily Freeman, Misu Juju, Monica Tran, naomi meg, Nea Valdivia, Ruby Bovill, Ruby MacKinnon, Sarah McDonald, Sarinrat Sornkam, Savi Ross, Scarlet Sykes Hesterman, Shelley Spangler, Sunny Tandoc, Tegan Iversen, Tim Sta-Ana, Tom Civil, Vess Bong, Viet-My Bui, Vonne Beyer, Yan Yan Candy Ng, Yiying Lee, YJ Chun

“The advent of AI is a call to arms for photographers”

Today, more than ever before, the photographers’ duty to document the real world is critical. In his debut exhibition, Kip (of Studio Kalava) explores the beauty and tranquillity seen in often overlooked everyday settings. His approach is steeped in teachings of the godfathers of street photography, and applied to the environments around us today. Kip seeks to create art through mere observation of his surroundings. Together with an intentionality in composition, this exhibition shows many moments of tranquillity in our busy world. From bright hues to muted tones, a painting-like quality is achieved in his photography. A style that evokes an almost conflicted sense of introspection and calm. 

Music to My Eyes

Drawing and painting was my thing, and I thought art teacher was to be my career. However while still at school I started playing guitar in rock bands and that led instead to a career in music. And later another in vintage furniture retail. In between I kept doing art, but always part time.

Finally in recent years I’ve been able to go back and finally realise my painting dreams. 

This exhibition of new work draws its subjects from what’s most important to me.. the people I’ve loved, the cats I’ve known, and my guitars, a source of endless material and inspiration.

The sensual shape of the guitar in all its forms has for me totemic power. Whether as two or three dimensional images rendered impressionistically “real”, or abstracted into stylised overlapping shapes where colours rule, or in juxtaposition with the female form. 

The images of people I’ve chosen to evoke an emotion in the viewer.. hopefully joyful. 

It’s the fleeting moment in time that I’m wanting to save and savour. 

And cats.. well, what can you say?

Tony Faehse (pronounced Fayzee) as guitarist and songwriter is best known for his work with Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons 1977-1983 (ARIA HALL OF FAME 2007), before that London 1973-1977 including touring Europe with Alvin Stardust. 1996-2019 with wife Wendy trading in Mid Century Modern furniture and design at their shop Retro Active in Northcote, Melbourne. 

STIRLING CAIULO

Exhibition Dates : 29 July - 10 August 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 30 July 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Stirling Caiulo creates paintings as sites of psychic and embodied transformation. His work is raw, symbolic, and rooted in a desire to fortify the spirit, exploring what it means to reclaim form from fragmentation, both personal and collective. With a deep curiosity for the unseen, his practice invites viewers to contemplate the meeting of the material and the mystical. Each piece acts as a threshold, a passage through which the fractured self might encounter wholeness, mystery, and renewal.

He has been a finalist in prestigious competitions, including the Lester Prize in both 2021 and 2022 and in 2023 the Bluethumb Portrait Prize and the Dean Cogle Prize. 

MARIAN QUIGLEY

Exhibition Dates : 23 September - 5 October 2025
Opening Reception : Wed 24 September 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

City and Country

During the last few years, my work has largely focused on Melbourne iconic buildings and structures. In this exhibition, however,  images are also drawn from Gippsland environments and are portrayed either separately or in juxtaposition with those of the city.  The paintings include both man-made and natural elements, sometimes in combinations which evoke the surreal.

Utilising acrylics, my style is characterised by a hard edge technique combined with elements of minimalist abstraction and strong colour/tonal contrasts.

Catalogue