Exhibition Insight... Lush: South Australian Botanicals

Em Frank, *White Vessel + Spring Cluster*, 2024, Photo: Connor Patterson

South Australia has a vast and unique landscape with many pockets of lush native botanicals. Surviving after almost two centuries of extensive farming and the effect the effects of climate change and introduced species, the majority of the state’s native plants now grow in a modified environment. Lush: South Australian Botanicals highlights the beauty and resilience of native botanicals by showcasing the responses and interpretations of ten South Australian craft practitioners. In this exhibition, artist explore the form, shape, colour, texture and, in some cases, the edibility and medicinal value of native plants, emphasising the importance of caring for Country and celebrating its diverse flora.

Exhibitors: Ayesha Aggarwal, Emma Young, Zoe Grigoris, Alexandra Hirst, Clare Belfrage, Sonya Rankine, Em Frank, Dominic Guerrera, Olivia Kathigitis and Julia Fernandes

WORDS BY CARLY TARKARI DODD

Ayesha Aggarwal and Emma Young honour the cultural significance of native trees such as the golden wattle and bottlebrush through their intricate designs.

Ayesha Aggarwal’s collection is inspired by the vibrant golden wattle, acknowledging its cultural importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In her creations, Ayesha not only captures the beauty of the golden wattle, but also underscores its enduring symbolism of strength, resilience and connection to the land.

Emma Young is a glass artist who creates vibrant and abstract glass forms that reflect her pride in Australian experiences. Inspired by nature and everyday objects, Emma's handcrafted pieces evoke familiarity and nostalgia, celebrating local icons and childhood memories. Her glass vases, adorned with botanical motifs, capture the essence of her childhood home, symbolising cherished memories and the beauty of Australian flora.

Botanicals reveal intricate layers, including microscopic patterns, as demonstrated by Zoe Grigoris, Alexandra Hirst and Clare Belfrage through their highly detailed illustrations and designs.

Zoe Grigoris' exquisite jewellery showcases the delicate beauty of nature, employing repoussé and chasing techniques to emboss floral motifs and enamel paints to create a romantic whimsical effect. The soft pastel colours are reminiscent of a painterly Impressionist scene, full of dainty blooms and abundant florals.

Ayesha Aggarwal, *A pop of wattle II*, 2024, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Zoe Grigoris, *Blue Field*, 2024, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Alexandra Hirst, *Santalum Acuminatum (Quandong),* 2024, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Alexandra Hirst's Santalum Acuminatum (Quandong) glass installation celebrates the vibrant quandong fruit, which are revered by the Kaurna people for their medicinal and nutritional properties. Through meticulous engraving, Alexandra's pieces not only capture the quandong's aesthetic beauty but also foster a deeper appreciation for Australia's botanical diversity, encouraging curiosity about our connection to nature.

Glass artist Clare Belfrage draws inspiration from the Xanthorroea Quadrangulata for her two vessels, utilising layers of glass stringers to depict the plant's intricate fronds. In Superabundance I and II, Clare skilfully shows the dynamic qualities of these plants, inviting viewers to admire their unique textures, shapes and rhythmic patterns.

Sonya Rankine and Em Frank's creations, though different in medium, share a common thread of reflecting on environmental interconnectedness.

Ngarrindjeri, Narungga and Ngadjuri artist Sony Rankine’s woven artworks, part of her Spaces Between series, explore the interplay of light and language, reflecting on the cultural significance of weaving in Indigenous Australian communities. Through her use of dodder laurel, copper wire, spiny flat sedge, and knobby rush, Sonya creates intricate patterns that serve as a reflection of life's interconnectedness and the spaces in between.

Em Frank’s sculptures reflect her fascination with discarded metal and its interaction with clay, inspired by the remote car graveyards of the Central Desert. Her pieces evoke a sense of nostalgia and reverence for the rugged beauty of the Australian landscape, where elements of nature and human intervention converge to create hauntingly beautiful assemblages. Dominic Guerrera, Olivia Kathigitis, and Julia Fernandes each create vessels that reflect personal connections to family and nature, particularly native trees, and flowers.

Emma Franklin, *Terrametal - White Cluster*, 2024, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Sonya Rankine, *Nganawi pulgi – My home (Ngarrindjeri)*, 2023, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Dominic Guerrera, *Madlala #2*, 2024, Photographer: Connor Patterson

Glass artist Julia Fernandes reminisces about her grandmother's home, which was adorned with exquisite porcelain vases embellished with floral patterns. Despite modest circumstances, these opulent botanical-themed objects sparked a fascination with beauty for its own sake in Julia's young mind. Inspired by her grandmother's taste for the finer things, Julia created the Swan River series to capture the essence of luxury and nostalgia evoked by those cherished vases, emphasising the idea that everyday items can be transformed into works of art.

Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Italian artist Dominic Guerrera's vessels draw inspiration from his deep bond with trees, especially the ancient ones he fondly refers to as "grandmother and grandfather trees." These majestic trees, deeply rooted in the land long before outsiders arrived, inspire the shapes and colours of his vessels. Through his work, Dominic celebrates the beauty and strength of these ancient beings, reminding us of the vital role trees play in our lives and the close connections Aboriginal people have with them.

Olivia Kathigitis' creation, Acacia, serves as a vessel for processing grief and honouring the gentle memories of departed loved ones. Through Acacia, Olivia explores the interplay of light and shadow, symbolising the complexities of grief and the passage of time. Drawing on Biophilic concepts, she presents Acacia as a ritualistic offering, inviting viewers to confront their fears of the unknown and find solace in altered perspectives. Crafted from reclaimed wood, brass, a local beeswax candle, and a single freshwater pearl, Acacia embodies Olivia's personal journey through loss and her enduring bond with nature.