EMILY MEDBURY

SPACE 2

Exhibition dates : 21 April - 3 May 2026
Opening reception : Wed 22 April 2026, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Turning Heads examines portraiture as a site of negotiation between image and perception. Each painting begins with a figure yet evolves into a form of self-portrait, shaped by inner dialogue and shifting awareness.

Working predominantly in oil and mixed media, I construct surfaces that reward both proximity and distance. Up close, details fragment and intensify; stepping back, the composition resolves into coherence. This oscillation mirrors the instability of self-perception, where closeness can distort and distance can clarify.

The works consider visibility not only as being seen, but as the act of seeing oneself. Through this body of work, portraiture becomes less about likeness and more about the subtle architectures of identity that emerge beneath the surface.

Emily Medbury is an interdisciplinary artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her practice spans contemporary painting, film direction and writing, alongside sculptural work within the regenerative design space, including a commissioned sculptural collection for Polestar.

Working across disciplines has shaped a process-driven approach grounded in intuition, material sensitivity and narrative awareness. While her broader practice engages multiple forms, painting remains central, offering an intimate and immediate language for exploring perception and identity.

Turning Heads marks her first solo exhibition, presenting a body of work that extends her ongoing investigation into inner landscapes, visibility, and the emotional textures that shape lived experience.