Statement

My current series “Arpaïs & Sebrack” is loosely based on my parents’ disastrous marriage, telling the story of a coming together of culturally different beings, familial concerns, betrayal, damage, and a falling apart. It incorporates elements from their native cultures; the Samoan “pe’a” tattoo for the masculine character, and Dutch Delft-inspired tiles and colours for the feminine character.

As an avid reader, I have always loved creation stories, myths, and legends regardless of the culture. As an artist, I created my own mythology of an imagined land and god-like beasts, and I paint scenes from these stories in my series “Myth Donina”.

While my Arpaïs & Sebrack series has been singled out from other stories have painted as part of my Myth Donina series, it still forms part of an encapsulated mythology. 

My works in both series depict an imagined land of gods, creatures, and machines that populate a colourful landscape. The creatures appear across several works as protagonists and witnesses, in much the same way multiple characters might be woven through a series of stories or books.

The flat, abstracted landscapes can appear stage-like, with the creatures taking on a performative aspect, seemingly caught mid-act with a self-conscious sense of being observed. The result is a series of characters moving towards a pre-determined fate with an air of pantomime

Curriculum vitae

Exhibitions

2020 Art2Life (Nicholas Wilton) International Art Exhibition (juried)

2021 Artlovers Australia Prize, finalist

2021 Art to Art Unearthed Prize, finalist

2021 Group exhibition, Art to Art Gallery

2022 The Other Artfair, Melbourne

2022 The Other Artfair, Sydney

2022 Group exhibition, Art to Art Gallery

2023 Group Exhibition, Becker Minty, Sydney

Collections

Private and corporate collections, Australia, USA, Europe & UK