In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?

There is a very distinct link to nature when growing up in Australia. I grew up near the ocean, so my immediate relationship with the natural world was with the sea. I was also fortunate to have attended a school whose values were centred around learning within and through nature. Not only did I travel across the vast landscape, there was always a link to learning about the history of the Traditional Owners of Australia and a connection to the Indigenous community by learning from them.

In my experience, nature has always been connected to story and to people, which are the two elements I tend to gravitate towards in my work. I more often than not use nature as a reference point, not merely as a setting, but as one of the key elements of what the work is about. Environment might be a more appropriate word to use as I often think about how to work within a space and create feeling through that space. So much of what images are about to me is imagination and building a world. It goes without saying that nature is right at heart of that.

What does it mean to you to be part of a thriving ecosystem?

I am surprised we don’t use ecosystems as a word more frequently, especially considering it covers the essentials for the basis of our lives. Having lived in such a densely populated city means that often the ecosystems I am surrounded by are more socially focussed, so through family and friends. It is also what makes leaving the city or travelling such a freeing experience; a return to more natural ecosystems.

My experience with ecosystems is that they change the way I think about what is going on around me, so finding a relationship with these environments equates to finding meaning and creative paths to follow.