Persephone & Demeter

Demeter and Persephone: a story about the power of a mother’s love for her child.
In Greek mythology the abduction of Persephone by Hades, the god of the Underworld, causes her mother, Demeter, to search throughout the world. In her distresses, Demeter the Goddess of the harvest, creates a blight on the land in which nothing flowers or grows.
Zeus is forced to intervene and sends a messenger to the Underworld to get Persephone back. But Hades tricks her into eating a pomegranate seed, preventing her from returning to the land of the living.
Eventually a deal is struck in which Persephone stays with her mother for two-thirds of the year. Persephone is forced to spend four months of each year in the Underworld with Hades, while Demeter grieves and winter reigns above ground.
Demeter and Persephone: a story about the power of a mother’s love for her child.
In Greek mythology the abduction of Persephone by Hades, the god of the Underworld, causes her mother, Demeter, to search throughout the world. In her distresses, Demeter the Goddess of the harvest, creates a blight on the land in which nothing flowers or grows.
Zeus is forced to intervene and sends a messenger to the Underworld to get Persephone back. But Hades tricks her into eating a pomegranate seed, preventing her from returning to the land of the living.
Eventually a deal is struck in which Persephone stays with her mother for two-thirds of the year. Persephone is forced to spend four months of each year in the Underworld with Hades, while Demeter grieves and winter reigns above ground.
This painting depicts the sunny part of the year in which mother and daughter are reunited and the earth is rich with colour.

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I'm a Melbourne artist making art about people, identity and relationships. I draw on my experience as a woman and a mother, and as a result, most of my work is about womanhood. I am a passionate advocate of women’s issues and gender equality.

I have an interest in patterns and lines and include them in nearly all my work. My attraction to patterns comes from my love of order (I'm also an accountant), but I mostly like the flat, decorative element it adds. Sometimes the material inspires the subject, but more often than not, I seek out a particular look, colour or pattern to go with the concept I have in mind. Including patterns is a way of adding another dimension to the work.

In 2020, I won the Unearthed Prize by Art to Art gallery in Balwyn. I've been exhibiting since 2012, when I held my first solo show. Prizes for which I have been shortlisted include the 2025 Omnia Prize, 2019 Footscray Art Prize, the 2018 Contemporary Art Prize, the 2016 Hornsby Prize, the 2016 She competition, the Lethbridge 10000 Small-Scale Art Prize, the 2013 Agendo Award and the 2011 Metro Award.  Early in my career, I won the 2013 Yen magazine Female Artist award and won 2 prizes at the Albert Park College Art Show. My artwork is in private collections worldwide and is part of the Standard Chartered Bank art collection, Albert Park College public collection, and the Image Mundi project.