New exhibits at Ballina gallery in May

THIS May brings four new exhibitions to the Northern Rivers Community Gallery in Ballina.

From a botanical installation and a series of textile-based meditations to award-winning still life photography and a series of relief-printed portraits of distant friends during social distancing, the winter exhibits offer a broad spectrum of otherworldly visions of the contemporary world.

The work in Distant Friends by Peter McLean was initiated after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when online platforms became the primary means of maintaining friendships and social interactions.

The artist uses relief printed portraits of his friends, based on social media photos, as a basis for a series of highly pixelated, abstract portraits.

Robyn Barron’s practice as a still-life photographer is informed by her horticultural and design background. The objects in her work are often cultivated in her garden or collected from the Northern NSW coastline.

Leaf and Flower showcases a selection of recent photographs alongside some of Barron’s award-winning work.

In I hope this helps, Liv Enqvist has created a series of textile meditations to allow viewers to stop, pause, and take a deep breath. The exhibition offers a soft, embroidered space inspired by mindfulness and the art of being present.

Her work, often inspired by the magic of words, poetry, and meditation, ranges from hand embroidery designs to still life sets, photographic backdrops, and props. Speaking fluent French, Italian, Japanese, and Swedish, her worldview is imbued in her work.

The collective Immortal Soil resides in Bundjalung country and works with a devout urge to offer an altered interpretation of earth-grown elements.

It’s Den Inception creates an installation using botanical elements and soundscapes to bring the outside in and give the viewer a sense of wild nature, recharge, reverence, and retreat within the gallery.

From creating immense, growing site-specific installations to carefully considered collections of curated beauty, the collective believes in Earth as its church.

All exhibitions opened yesterday, Thursday, May 1 and continue until Sunday, June 22.

For information, visit nrcgballina.com.au/v1