My body of work, The Pillars of Man, started with a question: What makes a face ‘classic’? To answer this question I combined the modern and the classical in my work to represent contemporary models and historic sculptures. While there was no single answer to my question, I found myself contemplating the concepts of structure, strength and perfection. Structure came through my medium, with the permanence of each pen mark. Strength was expressed through the subjects, whether in stature or physical form. Perfection, naturally, is what I strive for in my work.

My body of work investigates the natural, physical and metaphorical properties of flora as I am attracted to the aesthetics of this subject. The work represents the complexity and interconnectedness of systems in nature by exploring the patterns and repetition I have observed. I used pencil work to express the individual details and vibrancy of the flowers, accentuating the flow and movement of colour across the drawings.

Surfing and the ocean are some of the most important things in my life so they inspired my body of work. Surfing is not only a place of escape but a lifestyle. My work expresses the idea that surfing has progressed throughout history from being a male pastime to a professional sport, and is now a way of life for all ages and genders. The elements that make this possible are represented in my work, including the surfboard, sand, water and wetsuit, and the mindset that enables us to experience the creations of the ocean.

The internet was an escape from reality, but now reality is an escape from the internet. Connection explores the erosion of social connection in a world where smartphones have become all-pervasive. Through my body of work I confront audiences and challenge their endless appetite for digital immersion. My monochromatic digital drawings represent distracted inner-city dwellers detached from their surroundings. My intent is for my work to show digital connectivity as an addiction, to signal a demand that we defend the autonomy of our attention.

My body of work explores the current sense of apathy regarding the climate crisis. Using stop-motion animation I represent two diametrically opposed processes: a manufactured machine that contributes to the ruination of the Earth; and a natural ecosystem that works as a filter and serves to protect the Earth. My intent is to condemn rapacious modern consumerism and its resulting negligence of the exponential degradation of the natural world, and to offer a reminder of the ways in which the Earth works to undo the harm we inflict upon it.

My body of work is a representation of the duality present in human society, and the blending of polar opposites. The individual meaning of each piece, however, much like tarot cards, is up to your interpretation.

I’ve always been passionate about stories that combine a modern urban setting with fantasy elements. The setting and characters in my body of work are part of a personal project which I have expressed online, and my process of creation was inspired by the community of online digital comic artists who explore similar passions. I experimented with several palettes and poses until I arrived at something I’m happy with. Overall, this was a special work for me.

I have grown up in a family of three generations of women, experiencing the giving and receiving of care that transcends boundaries of age and culture. Often, this care is seen in small, mundane gestures of tenderness. Small Tenderness pays tribute to one small and mundane act: the washing of another’s face. My body of work uses the motion of washing to explore the intimate relationships that my mother, my grandmother and I have developed. Soft colours and loose brushwork represent the delicacy of skin, and layers of oil paint express the passage of time across three generations of women.

I may be known as a ‘man in a hat’ but prefer ‘historical hysterical’: one who scrutinises, documents and archives all aspects of transport – trains, motor buses and trams. Combining my research into historical photographic techniques and a healthy, yet slightly overzealous, diversion into various modes of transport, Tickets Please explores the connections between individuals, objects and reminiscences about historical aspects of Sydney transport. A world of record keeping is fast becoming a lost art, but my body of work uses its elements to express the nostalgia that redefines the historical object, raising it out of mundanity.

My work pays homage to Elizabeth and John Gould’s nineteenth century research and ornithology art. Interest in exoticism and naturalism in their era created a paradox: exotic species were hunted for displays, but the scientific knowledge gained helps conservationists monitor and preserve living species today. In my body of work I explore the complex meaning of preservation through a study of bird species. Pairs of layered works represent birds and branches in varying degrees of presence and absence. Some are in harmony with the natural environment, whereas others are removed from it and lie lifeless on doilies.

My body of work explores the public transport commute, highlighting the personal and humorous aspects of this mundane experience. Informed by my own reluctance to sit next to certain individuals based on appearance or mannerisms, my intent was to represent this unique liminal space that so many of us are familiar with. I used monster clay for its sensitive ability to express the fleshy likeness of an unnamed, yet familiar, commuter, framed by the bus seat. Viewers are invited to engage with the work, tentatively positioning themselves to occupy the empty seat, leave a tag or rummage through the briefcase.

My body of work explores the process of memory loss and the fear and anxiety that a person going through it would experience. My work uses a stop motion animation and a series of oil paintings to represent the internal thoughts and feelings of an individual with Alzheimer's disease. I created everything in the animation: the set, the puppets, their clothing, the props and the music.