"Neighbourhood" is a reflection of my forager-artist practice in Newcastle, NSW, exploring the ecological and emotional landscape of my suburban environment. Created using hand-foraged yellow ochre pigment sourced from a local park, the work brings together both native and introduced species—Mynah birds, Lantana, Dandelion, Golden Wattle, and Ironbark blossoms—those often-overlooked presences that accompany me on my foraging walks.

These species are arranged in a composition influenced by the symmetry and motifs found in Newcastle’s built environment, including the Civic Theatre, the Ocean Baths, and the decorative stained glass of suburban homes. This interplay of natural and architectural forms mirrors Newcastle’s layered identity as a post-colonial port city—where imported and endemic species, cultures, and stories now coexist.

In highlighting the everyday flora and fauna that surround us, Neighbourhood speaks to quiet forms of belonging, shared recognition, and connection to place. These familiar forms mark home, anchoring a collective sense of living together in a landscape that is both natural and shaped.