I am delighted to share that my artwork Light Between Us has been selected as a finalist in the North Sydney Winter Art Prize 2026.
This piece continues my exploration of Australia's natural landscape through texture, light, and colour. Created with acrylic and texture paste on a wooden panel, Light Between Us invites viewers to pause and appreciate the quiet beauty found in nature and the subtle connections that exist between trees, light, and the people who experience them.
Light Between Us
2026
Acrylic and texture paste on wood
30 × 30 cm
The Winter Art Prize brings together a diverse collection of works by talented artists from across the region. It is an honour to have my work exhibited alongside so many inspiring artists.
Winter Art Prize Exhibition
Venue: North Sydney Community Centre
220 Miller Street, North Sydney NSW
Exhibition Dates:
Friday 3 July – Saturday 4 July 2026
Award Night:
Friday 3 July 2026
Thank you to the North Sydney Community Centre for organising another wonderful exhibition and for supporting artists through this annual prize. I am grateful to be included and look forward to sharing Light Between Us with visitors to the exhibition.
One question keeps coming up: what’s next? I’m delighted to share that my work has been selected as a finalist in the Hunters Hill Art Prize 2026. It’s an honour to be part of this exhibition alongside a strong group of selected artists, all coming together in the beautiful Hunters Hill Town Hall. The work I’ve entered, Soft Country — Eucalyptus Socialis, continues my exploration of Australian native trees — their presence, individuality, and the subtle complexity of their colour and form. If you’d like to see it in person, here are the exhibition details: Buyers’ Preview Thursday 21 May 2026, 7pm – 8pm Canapés and drinks available Opening Night Friday 22 May 2026, 6pm – 8pm Canapés and drinks available
In 2018, I was invited to curate and coordinate a cultural performance for a diplomatic function at the National Gallery of Australia, at the request of the Embassy of Ukraine and on the initiative of Christine Syvenkyj-Bailey. The performance was created primarily from Christine Syvenkyj-Bailey’s private collection, with additional contributions from the collections of Sonia Mycak and Roxolana Mishalow. I am deeply grateful to them for their generosity and trust. This project was far more than event coordination — it was about giving history a voice. Every costume, ornament, and movement carried memory, identity, and meaning. My role was to carefully weave these elements into a coherent narrative that honoured tradition while allowing it to live and breathe in the present moment. I oversaw the entire creative and organisational process: selecting traditional Ukrainian costume elements, sourcing authentic garments and objects from private collectors, and recreating historical headpieces and jewellery where originals could not be used. I wrote the presentation script to guide the audience through the story, and designed all visual and printed materials — from slides and banners to invitations, gifts, and calendars — ensuring a unified visual language throughout the event. Behind the scenes, the work was equally intricate. I coordinated models and assistants, managed the careful transport of costumes and artefacts from Sydney to Canberra and back, and balanced countless logistical details so that, on the day, everything felt effortless and dignified. What emerged was not simply a performance, but a living expression of cultural memory.
