A few years ago, Paris faced a wave of terrorist attacks. The next day, people filled the streets holding signs that read “MEME PAS PEUR” — a phrase that became a symbol of resilience and defiance.

 

Choosing fear as the theme of this exhibition has been a challenge. As a child, I felt untouched by it. But living alone in the Australian bush, I began to meet fear in new ways: in the absolute darkness of the night, in the disorientation of being lost in the forest, in the anxious wait during the bushfires. Also, I feel it in the wider fears of our world — climate change, wars, leaders or individuals who thrive on division in human communities..

 

We can learn so much from fear, courage is not the absence of fear, but the awareness to face it. These paintings I created for the series return again and again to Nurrewin, the land I call home.To some it may seem filled with danger, yet for me it has become refuge and safety — a place that quiets fear and anchors me in belonging. It is here that I find the strength to share my story, and to keep opening my heart to beauty and to love, which I believe remains the most powerful remedy against fear.