Souvenirs of self: animals: place and transformation

I use paint to explore my perception, as an immigrant, of the Australian landscape. Many white Australians struggle with imagining their place in the Australian landscape. As a Zimbabwean born white South African, I carry additional questions. I explore issues of migration, transformation and the animal as a powerful symbol for a sense of place. I interrogate the parallels and contrasts between the South African and Australian landscapes and consider whether my perceptions of Australia are in alignment with what I have seen on the ground, in my travels in Gippsland, Victoria, the South Australian outback and the Northern Territory. My output includes paintings on canvas and paper, monoprints and more recently, video works. I use stencils derived from photographs and pour paint in numerous layers and delicate stains to build up images. I include recognisable motifs of animals such as the rhino and elephant, morphed with icons from the Australian coat of arms such as the kangaroo, to explore layers of recall and familiarity, as well as issues of sentimentality, symbolism, identity, tourist memorabilia and cultural exchange. I aim to give a sense of the complexity of my hybrid history alongside my understanding and appreciation of my local Gippsland environment. Images of migratory animals, including swallows and whales form part of a growing symbolic vocabulary that reflects my own journey south. These animals, familiar and unfamiliar, become 'souvenirs of self' and form part of my research and exploration of my perception of, and my place in Australia.