Monica Trapaga, Mez Truskett
mt2
Monica Trapaga
I am a mixed media artist who chooses materials based on the subject and how it speaks to me. I love using watercolours for smaller ocean-inspired works and acrylics for larger paintings. I can’t resist threading it all together with stitching; it’s in my DNA. My grandmother was an embroiderer who illustrated every garment she made.
My sculptural work revolves around wrapping, wiring, and weaving pre-used textiles and discarded structures into new forms. I’m a collector and curator of objects from previous eras, the natural world, throwout sites, and most of all, the sea and shoreline.
As an environmental artist, I create work that gives new life to discarded objects and reclaims their beauty. These transformed materials may become vessels, baskets, bowls, or simply sculptural forms or mobiles, often embellished with feathers, shells, bones, and other found fragments. Sometimes, these woven forms become models for paintings or wearable pieces, extending their lives once more.
I rarely begin with a formal plan. Painting, weaving, and sculpting are like cooking to me. The ingredients tell me what to make. mt2 is a body of work inspired by our surroundings, from interior to exterior, man-made to natural, but always alive with vibrant colour. We’re like Yin and Yang, two sides of a shared energy. Mez and I both came to painting later in life, as older students at NAS, bringing years of unspent creative momentum with us.
I find Mez’s work brave, inspiring, and most of all authentic. Whenever I see her, it’s an explosion of joy. She makes me laugh and always lifts me up. I was absolutely thrilled when she suggested we collaborate on this show.
Mez Truskett
I first met Monica in my final year at The National Art School in Sydney in 2019. I found her to be a bubbly, energetic and kind women with a touch of vulnerability which drew me to her. I later realised that we had lots in common, not only our initials. This is how Monica came up with the name for our show, MT2 (MT Squared). I asked Monica to sit for me this year for my yearly portrait painting and that’s when we decided to have this show together.
This series is based on a 1950’s interiors theme. I live in a 1950’s character-filled house in Vincentia and these paintings have been inspired by my immediate surroundings. Instead of the figure, I usually add animals into the composition as it tends to breathe life into the painting and assists with the narrative, as animals have always played an important role in my life. I use acrylic paints as they are faster drying and enable me to work over areas straight away. I would say my style is based on the expressionist theme with a touch of naivety. My work is inspired by artists such as Matisse as he was such an amazing colourist and more currently Noel McKenna whose work is so unique and has a touch of humour to it.
I hope that our show ‘screams joy’ for the viewer. This was a statement made by Monica which I think depicts our combined works.
Pamela French
Pam French
Exhibition Title: upon a fallen leaf
This series of work is an exploration of what it means to surrender, of forfeiting control and expectations and moving into intuition. The title ‘Upon a fallen leaf’ encapsulates this for me and is a line from the poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen symbolises a deep letting go.
For many years I have kept visual records and mind maps of my observations in the form of visual diaries, on index cards, or even as tiny sculptures. It is one of the ways I process the world, of being present in an indirect way.
I am particularly interested in what happens during the process of instinctive drawing, in spiral thinking and in recording a stream of consciousness. My observations are intuitive, I’m often in conversation or the company of others. I regularly insert an element of chance by randomly pre-cutting pages in a variety of different configurations, or by choosing materials and colours at random to create unexpected compositions or relationships.
For this body of work, I have pushed further by integrating this approach more fully into my painting practice. Using the bold drawings in my visual diaries as a starting point the paintings morphed and changed as they became their own entity, sometimes with more description, others moved into abstraction.
They are stories upon stories within the works. Just as I let chance and intuition form the drawings, while painting I let my thoughts wander to people, gatherings, empty places, memories within memories. It was a constant practice of letting go, keeping the same level of intuition alive that existed in the original note taking and stream of consciousness. Interiors fold into nature, nature inserts itself into space. The two nurture each other, just as we need life deep within us, we need it in our interiors and with each other.
Jane Cavanough
A love of the Australian “Great Outdoors" has fuelled Jane Cavanough's art practice since childhood. Her path to an emotional and intellectual response to landscape and environment drew her to a short-lived career as a Landscape Architect that was over-ridden by a passion to make art in the 1990's.
Samantha Stephenson
This exhibition traces movement, memory, and material—an attempt to anchor the ephemeral. It brings together works from different moments, each emerging from recurrent themes of time, connection, and the tension between permanence and impermanence. At its centre are recent paintings that follow the gestures of waterfalls—not as representations, but as layered records of motion, light, and the visceral.
Miranda Hampson
Exhibition Title: NATURAL VARIATIONS
Artist Statement about Exhibition:
Natural variations in the landscape are formed by a complex interplay of forces, whether it be wave and wind action, tidal changes or sediment deposits. These forces contribute to the dynamic movement of Country.
The concept of natural variations can be analogous to the diversity of First Nations cultures where differences are influenced by geographic location, environmental factors and cultural adaptations. More specifically, these variations are evident in language, social structures, stories, artistic expression and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Whilst First Nations cultures are immeasurably different, these variations can also connect us. We are united by shared histories, experiences and a deep connection to Country. These works provide an opportunity to reflect on this balance between distinct differences and common threads and how both are significant in strengthening the bonds between people, land and culture.
Alexandra Weare
My solo exhibition is really a diary about my desire to cling onto a more naturalistic way of life. An afternoon at the river, hitting the road and the awe and wonder of a rainbow. Interestingly on reflection my work is laden with symbolism.The journey of life, adventure, the flow of time and beauty are some of the meanings that resonate with me.
While the bush can be seen as peaceful, it is in fact brimming with life. Some scenes I have approached with a simple energy depicting the rush of an afternoon spent with family and friends along the riverbank. Kayaking, running through the water and lying in the sunshine after an invigorating swim. Other scenes are reflective, poetic and have a sense of drama.
Living in rural (Ngarigo) NSW can be isolating so I also really enjoy taking off. I am often on the road and love to see what’s around a bend whether it be brumbies, emus, wallabies, a lyrebird or a rainbow! The thrill of seeing a rainbow always strikes a chord with me. They offer the hope and promise of a new beginning. Currently for us rainbows are even more highly prized as it means it has rained.
I think my two styles come together like Andy Warhol playing pop at one end of the studio and classic at the other end. Holding onto a piece of paradise while still hurtling towards a world that is in some ways highly controlled but is also on the brink. Enjoy the present but expect the worst. I hope for this exhibition to evoke in the viewer the thrill of haphazard adventure and to remind people to get out into the bush and to feel the elements for themselves.
SARCO
S A R C O, an Australian contemporary artist and designer based in the Southern Highlands of NSW, is drawn to the raw beauty and fragility of nature…
Through her thick textural oil paintings, she captures the character of the ever-changing landscape with a gestural and expressive approach.
With each brushstroke and mark made, S A R C O seeks to disclose the essence of the environment, exposing its intricate details and the way light travels over its surfaces.
“As an artist, I am constantly enthralled by the fleeting nuances of light as it traverses over a landscape.”
– S A R C O
With a skilled hand and a bold palette knife, Sarco expressively reveals the raw energy and attributes of the natural environment, her pieces are a testament to her deep connection with the land evoking a sense of truth and authenticity.
The use of a single colour, meticulously selected from the site itself, allows for light to act as S A R C O’s ultimate collaborator, casting shadows and creating subtle tonal variations that add depth and dimension to her pieces.
Her process is a constant play between control and spontaneity, resulting in a compelling body of work that celebrates the power and vulnerability of the natural world.
Sarco is deeply connected to the vast and diverse landscapes of the Southern Highlands, Illawarra, Byron Hinterland and South Coast of New South Wales.
Her work invites viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the environment reminding us of its preciousness, inspiring others to protect and preserve it for generations to come.
S C A P E unveils a glimpse of four of S A R C O ‘s proposed 2026 exhibitions including S T H N depicting waterfalls and mountain ranges in the Southern Highlands, the H I N T series explores the Byron Bay hinterland through light and texture, while T I D E 2 R I V R is a visual journey from the Illawarra to the South Coast and up the Shoalhaven river, M O N T a body of work derived from the European ski fields inspired by resort maps evolving from a recent commission.
Antonia Leigh & Miiko Kumar
Twenty 4 features painting and mixed media artworks by Antonia Leigh and Miiko Kumar. The exhibition explores time as a universal construct; the notion of past, present and future-of the 24 hour cycle that frames our lives. Twenty 4 also references the personal perspectives by both artists as each hour of the day represents the possibility of unique thought, hope, new emotions and memories in this ongoing continuum.
Antonia Leigh 24 Hours, 24 Buds - Hope and Renewal
Each bud in this series represents a promise – of life, of resilience, of a future yet to unfold.
Colour is the heartbeat of my paintings. Each different colour palette carries energy and meaning.
The 24 small acrylic paintings of abstract buds explore the relationship between colour, hope and the shifting landscape of our thoughts and emotions as we live out our days. Just as buds hold the quiet promise of blooming, our emotions cycle through phases of anticipation, intensity, hope and renewal.
Colour becomes a reflection of these inner shifts and moods.
I wanted to explore the quiet yet profound cycle of renewal that underlies all our days. The works invite viewers to reflect on their own moments of change, growth and the ever-present hope that each new hour brings.
The works are a reminder that growth is a process and that even in darkness we hold the promise to bloom.
Miiko Kumar
My work is about memory of place. The collected memories are fragmented and reinterpret time. The 24 works in this exhibition are about landscapes travelled. They show the colours and everyday fabrics that pattern our days, fabrics that bind are lives. Lace that lets sunlight in and can dance with light. Sweet fabrics designed for a child. Constant and trusted gingham.
The rhythm in life is shown by my repetition of shape. A stitch or line moving. Life’s experience and struggle is symbolised in my art by mountains, roads and curves. The horizon can sometimes be seen in the distance. A gestural mark of simplicity. My work shows colour and light. I use layering of materials and marks to reflect the transitory state of beauty. Weaving materials into my art. Life is changing. Nothing remains the same.
The 24 works are remembered spaces that may be recognisable to you. The cycle of life brings comfort. Familiar patterns reassure that difficult times will pass. Beauty is in the ordinary and feeling at home. The layers of experience are condensed into a fleeting snapshot in time. The works are 24 fragments of memory. Joy and renewal.
Andrew McPhail
This exhibition explores the beauty and wonder of familiar places, hidden gems and well-known vistas that mark the journey from the Illawarra and south coast to the Southern Highlands and beyond. Visitors and collectors will be drawn in to appreciate that moment in time when the light reflected off the water, the forest glistened with mist and the road beckoned on to adventure.
This new body of work in acrylic and oil will offer representational paintings that capture the beauty and variety of the coast and country, such iconic features of our region.
An established artist in the Kiama region, Andrew seeks to offer high quality landscapes and seascapes that give collectors and visitors to The SHAC an opportunity to enjoy and purchase that special painting.
This exhibition features contre-joure that draws the viewer into that magical moment when light brings a place to life. Different medium applications create a sense of peace and calm, like walking on a beach or looking out over the bush. There’s a journey, a path, a view that brings an emotional connection, especially to the unique places in our region.
Sarah Emily Rowe
I’ve lived half a life, built a family, weathered a divorce, waded through the swampy landscape of a corporate job or two, and somehow, I’ve arrived at happiness. There was a time when happiness felt out of reach, tied too closely to my expectations of others. But over time, I’ve come to understand that true happiness is something we cultivate from within.
The act of painting and creating collages brings me a deep sense of contentment. Each piece I make is a reflection of that process—a tangible expression of balance, clarity, and peace. Art is not just a passion; it is a personal therapy, a means of grounding myself in the present.
This collection is bold in color and abstractly floral, shaped by my strong connection to textiles. I have always been drawn to patterns and their interplay, and this body of work is my translation of that enduring fascination.
Linda Balding & Carolyn Collins
This Exhibition brings together two artists with a passion for the natural environment, whose practices incorporate printmaking but whose work evolves in different directions through distinctive, layered approaches.
Mary Adams
Exhibition Opening Saturday 1 March @ 4 - 6pm
In celebration of my recent Australian citizenship, this collection explores the unique spirit of Australia through the lens of surrealistic Australian animals. With a playful and humorous twist, these works aim to capture my perception of the Australian culture I have come to cherish – specifically the lighthearted nature, the way Australians ‘take the piss’ of things, and the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously. As a charcoal artist, I am drawn to pushing its expressive potential beyond traditional applications. Often relegated to a supporting role on canvas or linen, I sought to elevate charcoal to the forefront and not just be the preliminary sketch of an underpainting. By choosing linen and leaving much of it exposed, I aimed to create a more natural aesthetic that fosters a sense of authenticity. The interplay between the raw texture of the linen and the dynamic contrast of the charcoal has resulted in a captivating visual tension and unexpected synergy. This collection is a testament to the ability of art to capture the essence of a place and to celebrate the unexpected beauty that arises from embracing the unconventional. Through this collection, I hope to invite viewers to share in my appreciation for the quirky humor of Australian culture and invoke a smile or laugh.