In March 2023, I travelled with friends to Japan in order to walk the Nakasendo Way. I was initially stunned and in awe of the amazing Japanese style of tree pruning, (niwaki and sukashi), where gardens are regarded as themed landscapes and the trees are gently sculpted, and the essence distilled, to create unique and beautiful forms. This contrasted strongly with my more familiar Tasmanian landscape, full of leaf litter, dead and dying trees, broken limbs and wild, remote beauty.

The traditional Japanese aesthetic is called wabi-sabi. Wabi represents a simple, austere beauty while sabi refers to a rustic patina or natural aging. Both centre on the acceptance of transience and imperfection, while embracing Zen Buddhism; combining simplicity, mindfulness, and the journey towards enlightenment. The exhibition ‘Within’ is a narrative between the excessively clean and ordered Japanese gardens and the wild Tasmanian wilderness. In Japan, no one would ever dream of littering anywhere yet there seemed to be a dearth of rubbish bins. Despite an abundance of rubbish bins in Tasmania, littering continues to happen on a fairly large scale and it is always disappointing to be amid our sublime unique wilderness, only to glance down and spot a bottle top, tissue or other reminders of the human presence. In a Japanese garden the human presence takes a different form; in order to protect from winter snow as well as failing limbs on old trees,  they are often supported by beautifully constructed wooden poles and tied to the branches with hemp rope, sometimes cushioned by strips of hessian. It is also apparent in the careful planting and adherence to the golden rule of Bonsai where two unequal parts of a whole must be in relationship to each other to create a satisfactory image to the eye.

‘Within’ is a body of work that visually discusses two entirely disparate environments- one that is humanly ordered, restrained and balanced while the other is wild, untamed and naturally beautiful; imperfect perfect nature.