Sand & saltwater take centre stage

ORIGINALLY from Western Australia, Jude Niemiec enjoyed a 20-year career in graphic design, working across studio practice as well as community education and university academic campaigns but her latest chapter as an artist is what has her in the spotlight with her Shorelines exhibition.

The works were on show at the South Australian Hotel and are now headed to Penola’s Gallery 54, opening on June 6 and running until July 26.

“Shorelines is a collection of works based on a small world that is precious to me,” Jude, who is now based in Mount Gambier, said. “This world of sand and salt water is tied up in memories of growing up and family.

“Vast stretches of Perth beaches, a family clustered under flapping umbrellas with salt water drying on our skins; long walks in ankle deep foam on many beaches with family, friends and dogs, sharing our lives – the good and the not so good; the endless view, the hiss and crump of waves, the slap of ripples, are all part of my history.

“These works do not reflect that history, they are perhaps a visual expression of thanks for the history.”

Jude was seeking a creative shift from her graphic design career and returned to part-time fine art studies in painting and sculpture while continuing that professional design work.

In the early 1990s, she relocated to Victoria with her husband and transitioned into a career in the environmental sector, quietly sustaining her commitment to painting and drawing alongside her work.

Jude creates predominantly on paper, linen, calico, cotton, chiffon and paper-cloth, working with soy and acrylic paints, inks, drawing materials and thread.

In recent years, her practice has expanded to explore a diverse range of fabrics and papers, including Momigami and Joomchi paper-cloth techniques, alongside slow stitching, silk thread knitting and mixed media processes.

Wherever possible, she favours natural materials and embraces simple, considered techniques that honour texture, surface and time.

Jude was awarded prizes at the South East Art Society Annual Exhibition in 2024 and the Wattle Range Annual Exhibition in 2025, reflecting the growing recognition of her distinctive material-driven practice.

Her work has been exhibited across the region, including in galleries in Millicent, Kingston, Port MacDonnell and Portland, and as part of the Southern Ocean Art Prize in Robe last year.

Most recently, a major work on paper-cloth was selected for Victoria’s Textile Palette Exhibition 2026 — a curated biennial exhibition celebrating innovative and thought-provoking works in fabric and fibre.

This inclusion marks a significant milestone in Jude’s practice, affirming her ongoing exploration of textile-based processes and her commitment to working thoughtfully with natural materials and contemporary fibre technique.

Gallery 54 is open Thursday to Sunday, from 10am to 3pm.