The power of presence explored in mother-daughter exhibition

A HEARTFELT exhibition is now on display at Dudley House, exploring the concept of stillness and quiet, and the act of being present in the moment.

It also reveals the bond between a mother and her daughter.

After battling physical illness and exhaustion from working for themselves, Lee Trewartha and Erynn Trewartha-Lewicki decided to embark on a 12-month sabbatical, in what they both considered to be a “carefully cultivated period of solitude.”

They were particularly inspired by a poem by Californian poet and ecotherapist Kai Siedenburg – The Right to Remain Silent – which became a “liberating” mantra to take the time to recharge, restore and grow.

Over the year their artistic identities took a different approach, with stunning results.

Trewartha swapped her trademark large black-and-white works for calm, peaceful landscape pieces inspired by her garden and nature, while Trewartha-Lewicki made illustrations and still life artworks that symbolised her new way of living.

By the end of the 12 months, both felt deeply changed by the experience.

Trewartha, who has a disability and was suffering from surgery complications, said the impact was profound.

“(During) my recuperation, Erynn and I (made) a conscious decision to be present, rather than looking back or forward,” she said.

“Our relationship has formed a new bond, beyond that of mother and daughter and coworkers, to that of two friends with shared experiences united by their love of creating.”

Trewartha-Lewicki considered it a chance for new artistic discoveries.

“What (particularly) captured me was the still life artworks of both Georgio Morandi and Thornton Walker,” she said.

“I was taken by their contemporary portrayal of inanimate objects and spaces, that in all their simplicity they act as powerful metaphors for both artists’ internal worlds.

“Inspired by this concept, I found solace in drawing, photographing and painting inanimate objects and spaces, and began producing still life artworks that forced me to slow down and reflect.”

View (and purchase) the outcomes of their inspiring journeys at The Right to Remain Silent: Art of The Sabbatical until Tuesday 6 May at Dudley House in View Street.