Inspired by my studies of Bill Henson’s use of dark moody lighting, my original intent was to express the personalities and moods of my dogs in a similar manner. However, during some exploratory concept drawings with charcoal, I decided to work with charcoal on fabric and to extend and develop my ideas to represent our family as a whole, complete with moods, personalities and the strong bonds between us. I retained a monochromatic colour scheme but focused on the bright, more joyful and quirky nature of my world. The resultant body of work reveals the real bosses of our home.

The perception of self is commonly associated with insecurity and our individual flaws. We often do not recognise our own weaknesses, and that the emotion that grips our minds is fear. This emotion hinders our perception of ourselves and destroys our inner peace. Incorporating self-portraits into my body of work confronted my own insecurity, exposing perceived flaws and imperfections in my appearance. By using chiaroscuro – contrasting tones of light and dark with the black background – my intent is to create a confronting space of vulnerability and sensitivity to fear, imperfection and anxiety for subjective interpretation.

My body of work is a physical exploration of something intangible – the hidden components of identity. I used charcoal pencils on watercolour paper to have the full spectrum of dark and light to express soft and dramatic forms with strong contrasting tones as well as subtle areas of gradation. This represents the hidden truths and layers of an individual’s identity with its many shades of grey. I used the side pages of a book to create the same linear qualities evident in the masked portraits, playing with the idea that ‘you can’t read a book by its cover’.

All Australians are affected by the harsh and diverse environment and natural disasters for which Australia is famous. The severe bushfires at the start of 2020 and the following floods which ravaged the Australian landscape had an impact on everyone, even those who weren’t close to the disasters. Within my body of work, my intent was to explore the ways in which these events affected everyone. I chose to do a large scale graphite drawing to incorporate details within the work that represent the physical, mental and emotional effects of these natural disasters.

To many, the space of a home provides comfort and belonging – a sanctuary within the currents of our everyday life. So where do we seek refuge when our home is uncertain? My body of work represents the ephemeral sense of ‘home’ experienced by those residing on the streets. Employing the fragile canvas of cardboard boxes, my work challenges the concept of an abode of safety which we as fortunate audiences are accustomed to. My intent is to evoke a renewed appreciation for the walls that innately protect and reassure us.

The Shed represents the essence of mateship, shared purpose and contribution to the community in the lives of five men in their later years. Painted realistically to fully express their authenticity, my body of work is mounted using the very materials used by these men. Within the men’s shed they find belonging, friendship and an outlet for creativity with a practical purpose. Separate individuals, drawn together through their common goals and passion for working with wood, they skilfully shape this material and in turn shape their own wellbeing.

My body of work explores the complexities of identity which extend beyond a physical image to ask whether we can truly know others. Inspired by classical works of old masters, I united traditional realism and abstract oil painting techniques. My intent is to expose how individuals can manipulate how they present themselves to others. In expressing our innermost thoughts, opinions, needs and desires we can break the facade we hide behind which distorts how we are perceived. My work questions what we really know about others, and expresses the depth of a person behind what you see ‘at face value’.

My body of work explores my studio and artmaking processes. I focused on portraiture as a means of investigating the soul's, or the artist's, intimate relationship with the canvas, as well as referencing Renaissance artists such as Goya and Caravaggio whose influence and use of chiaroscuro greatly inspired me and my practice. Using mirrors and lighting to add greater depth and perspective, I invite the audience to place themselves in the studio, and to appreciate and explore the setting beyond what is seen on the canvas.

My body of work is a series of photographs studying the metaphysical. This branch of philosophy explores the fundamental nature of our reality as humans, especially the relationships between mind and matter, and potentiality and actuality. I took inspiration from dreams as they are examples of our minds exploring potentiality and ignoring actuality, allowing us to briefly experience a world of transcendency and imagination. To create this work I took photographs of my classmates through various water-based filters to distort their images, much like what happens in a dream, therefore exploring the metaphysical.