Elizabeth Blakeman | With a Beady Eye: Bushfire and Beyond

31 July - 05 September 2026

Special opening event 5.30pm Friday 31 July 2026

All welcome. Free

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Our farm was burnt out on 30th December 2019. Only the house survived.

 

We had chosen to stay and defend. 

My brother had joined us.

As the embers fell, I changed my mind and chose to leave.

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This body of work depicts my experience of that night, in the Wairewa Hall: 

and of our survival. 

It depicts the rain: our fatigue: the assessment of loss: and of our gratitude. 

 

And it records my recovery, particularly measured by my pleasure in the plant life recovery.

And it records acceptance of the future, whatever it may hold. 

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Image: Life Survived But It Was A Narrow Squeak. 8mm glass beads, medium white cotton Kaygee thread, square stitch weave on 10mm stainless steel rod,  horizontal bead holes, 45x31cm