Clare Cowley’s new exhibition, Sleeping Stories, will be displayed at Crows Nest Gallery from February 7 to March 3, 2024.
The exhibition explores myths that have been enhanced by childhood memories, recent drawings from the family farm at Allora and Indigenous-led art projects in the Maranoa Region.
Clare started her art studies at Toowoomba’s St Ursula’s College, before completing a Bachelor of Fine Art with Honours from the Queensland College of Art in 2014.
Clare continues to develop her artistic practice through painting, drawing, print media and performance.
“Having grown up on a farm, I have the advantage of drawing from a well of imaginings that the environment encourages. My awareness of the spiritual language in nature as a child was strong,” she explains.
“When I studied at Griffith University alongside colleagues from the Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art course, I became aware of powerful ways to tell stories of the land.
“Using embodiment techniques to absorb language and stories, I gather materials such as sand, grass and dirt, which are a signature to my direct experience of the places I visit.
“I respond to these spontaneous encounters with the application of traditional mediums: watercolour, gouache, acrylic, oil, ink, pastel and charcoal onto paper and canvas.
“I intertwine elements from my dreams into observations from the land to reveal sleeping stories.”
Clare’s artwork seeks to accomplish a sense of transience, like in a dream or a memory, while acknowledging the sacredness of places around Australia.
The exhibition’s artist talk is at 11am on Sunday, February 11. This is a free event and no bookings are required.
