Coal Dusted Exhibition

Coal Dusted, an exhibition that brings together the many contrasts of Carrington – a suburb of Newcastle, NSW that, for me, embodies both the natural and industrial in a way that’s unique, even surprising. It’s a place where mangrove swamps coexist with a bat colony, where people walk their dogs next to shipping lanes, and where the constant hum of diesel storage mingles with the sounds of nature.

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Carrington is a place with layers, and I’ve tried to capture those layers through a variety of media. The monotypes in this exhibition are inspired by the textures of the landscape – the way the light falls on the swampy mangroves, or the way the shipping containers and industrial infrastructure seem to bleed into the surroundings. The photo transfers bring some of the details of the suburb into focus, allowing me to play with the idea of capturing fleeting moments – like the movement of bats overhead at dusk or the changing sky above the shipping lanes.

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The acrylic paintings are where I’ve really leaned into the tension between the built environment and the natural world. There’s something powerful in the way the industry and nature collide in Carrington, and the use of acrylics gives me a chance to bring both vibrancy and heaviness to these contrasting elements.

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Coal Dusted isn’t just about the physical features of Carrington; it’s about the feeling of living in a space that’s constantly evolving and shifting. There’s a sense of mystery in this suburb, a kind of quiet chaos that pulls together seemingly unrelated elements into something that feels distinctly its own. It’s a suburb that, for all its grit, has a strange kind of beauty.

I hope this exhibition invites you to pause and reflect on the diversity of Carrington – the way nature and industry coexist, sometimes uneasily, but always in a kind of delicate balance.