Whispers of the Grove: A Celebration of Stillness, Connection, and Creativity
“If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
Right - left: Angelina Miraibto, Cr Alex Makin, Nina Taylor, MP
On Friday evening we opened Whispers of the Grove, an exhibition that explores the nature of being, where matter and spirit, human and earth, fuse in ways that are both subtle and profound.
The opening night was a wonderful celebration of creativity and community. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us, and special thanks to Nina Taylor MP, Cr Alex, Kate Spencer from FBIdeas for their presence and support, it meant so much to share this moment together. Big thank you to The Gladstone, Haiku who make all of this and the community we share possible.
The grove stands as a living metaphor: a place where quietness and wildness coexist, where chaos and exquisite design are not opposites but companions. Within this balance we find ourselves reflected back, messy, magnificent, fragile, and resilient all at once.
The journey of creating this body of work has been transformative. Whispers of the Grove marks my sixth exhibition while also featuring in third consecutive show/fairs and alongside a major commission project. Sustaining this level of output, physically, emotionally, and mentally, has been demanding in alchemical ways. The constant excavation within myself has revealed a deeper gold: pure expression, insight, and the ability to create in ways that connect universally. The pure nature of me is not separate from the pure nature of others, and in that shared essence, we hear the whispers.
At the heart of this exhibition are the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. These rhythms are not abstract ideas but the very movements of life itself, found in the changing seasons, in growth and decay, and in our own transformations through joy, loss, and renewal. Nature carries ancient wisdom, always present, waiting to be heard.
Through art, Whispers of the Grove invites us into that listening. My textured palette-knife paintings, alongside organic sculptures by Maria Simonelli, a meditative video work by Scott Ross, and artworks from recent community workshops, together create a space for reflection, stillness, and reconnection with the rhythms that shape all life.
Artwork Spotlight: Grandma Willow
Grandma Willow, mixed media, 1.2m x 0.9m, 2025
Grandma Willow quickly emerged as a favourite on opening night. The work carries the quiet strength of rootedness, a reminder of wisdom passed down through generations, of endurance that bends but does not break. Many visitors paused in front of it, drawn into its presence as though sitting beneath a sheltering tree.
What makes this especially meaningful for me is that Grandma Willow was the hardest piece of the exhibition to complete. Each iteration aged her, and only when she reached the level of the engoldened crone did she finally feel complete. I loved her for the journey it took to bring her into being, but I never expected her to become the favourite of the night.
Her cracks, of gold, were inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken ceramics are repaired with gold, making them more valuable because of their history. I believe in the beauty of imperfection, in what is real and whole precisely because of its fractures. That so many connected with her affirms this truth.
While Grandma Willow resonated deeply with others, my own favourite of the exhibition is Gatekeeper. This piece challenges me to recognise how often the barriers to expansion into new realities and all the grove stands as a metaphor to are not external but within ourselves, born of false beliefs, fear, or a lack of confidence.
Gatekeeper, acrylics on canvas, 1.8m x 1.2m, 2025
Ancestors, Mixed media, 1.2m x 0.9m, 2025
My second personal favourite is Ancestors. For years I ran from my heritage, my roots, and the stories that shaped me. Yet through Romulus and the art evolving out of me over the past three years, and my simultaneous transformation, I’ve been reconnecting with everything I have always been.
I want to also express my appreciation to Scott Ross for his tireless work running the Romulus Folio gallery, Odi Tsogbaatar for his artwork contribution and joyful company, Rachel Laverick for her beautiful flowers and to selected workshop participants whose works complete the exhibition. Love and appreciation to my parents for the food art, belief in me and support in helping Scott and I get everything done in time and my 95 year old Nonna for being here. Her strength, boldness and story inspires me.
Exhibition Details
55 Gladstone Street, South Melbourne
12 September – 5 October 2025
Wed–Fri: 12–7pm | Sat & Sun: 12–5pm | by appointment
Come step quietly into the grove, and listen to what has always been speaking.