In her latest exhibition, Kalina Brew reflects on recent travels around Central and Eastern Australia alongside seven years of living, working and holidaying in Southwest Gippsland, Bass Coast and East Gippsland. While on the six-month journey with her family, enjoying the simplicity of caravan life, she had ample time to observe and explore the changing environments. Moving from temperate zones, into tropical regions and through the arid central lands, she was struck by the familiarity of some places, reminding her of home. Yet other vistas were so astoundingly different, unlike any she had seen before. There was a realisation that, while there are many contrasts in the places that we live, there are also many similarities that connect us.
This current exhibition forms part of an ongoing body of work by Kalina, in which she explores the connection that we all share through water – in the sea, the sky, the land and ourselves. Working primarily in acrylic paint, using bold expressive brushstrokes, saturated colours and dynamic composition, she aims to capture the essence of a moment in place and time.