A Companion To Pain

A Companion to Pain explores the quiet intimacy that can develop between a person and their hardships. Whilst it may take a second glance the pain is not depicted as violent or catastrophic, but instead as a weight carried quietly, revealed only through the dimming of one’s light. The work reflects the softer and often hidden reality of living alongside emotional or physical hardship over long periods of time.

The seated figure appears calm and almost childlike, holding space beside a small lantern that symbolises endurance, familiarity, and the preservation of a fragile inner light. Through muted colours, softened forms, and layered textures, the painting aims to feel more like a memory or emotional atmosphere than a literal scene.

This work is not about defeat, but coexistence — the quiet process of carrying heaviness for so long that it becomes woven into everyday life.

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Based in Brisbane, I am a self-taught oil painter whose work explores quiet emotional endurance, familiarity, and the softer realities of everyday life. I began drawing in primary school and started teaching myself painting in high school, developing my practice over the years through observation, experimentation, and consistency rather than formal training, but through my familys opinions they were the true teachers for my learning.

Alongside painting, I work full-time as an apprentice while living with chronic illness, an experience that has naturally shaped the emotional direction of my work. My paintings are often influenced by quiet moments, family life, rural surroundings, and the subtle ways people carry hardship alongside ordinary routines.

Spending time with my nanna, visiting the family farm, and life with my two greyhounds continue to influence the atmosphere within my work. Through oil painting, I aim to create pieces that feel intimate, restrained, and emotionally honest, focusing less on perfection and more on emotional presence.