“Sanctuaries” is a series inspired by my personal connection to Brisbane’s Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha: a place I return to whenever I need restoration, quiet, and reconnection with the natural world. Walking through the gardens, beneath the canopy and amongst the layered textures of tropical plants, I am reminded of the importance of slowing down and allowing space for reflection.
As a landscape architect I have studied these spaces - the Japanese Garden and Tropical Display Dome and strive to understand their design intent and the history of the gardens. Both spaces can be appreciated at an academic level - the role water and reflection plays, the way "delight and reveal" concepts are mastered and moments of "prospect and refuge". These are elements I've shown in these works but also aim to capture the intangible feelings of bright light, warm spaces, safety and the sense of belonging within something larger and enduring.
The women within these works are portrayed in flowing gowns, resting peacefully within the landscape as symbolic extensions of contemplation, softness, and presence.
As my daughters grow, I am trying to challenge the notion of constant pace and movement - "hustle"- and invite them to feel comfortable with resting emotional renewal, through immersion in beautiful environments. I am still learning to do this myself.