14 December - 1 March | WPACC Foyer Gallery
Abi Thompson's mixed-media drawings, Creature Comforts, explore Australia's inland landscapes' unique textures, colours and patterns. These works reflect Abi's interest in their ancient relationship to time and place.
The beauty and fragility of these vulnerable environments and the timelessness of the animals that inhabit them communicate Abi's concern about the destruction of these habitats. The resulting threat to wildlife underpins this series.
The animals portrayed evoke many aspects of an ancient land that has witnessed many natural events such as floods, fire, erosion and drought. The reptiles are "looking for a home" and integrating back into affected landscapes. Abi is fascinated by the environment's ability to recover and regenerate, which she sees as a testament to its beauty.
Abi Thompson is known for her work with a diverse range of art mediums. As a long-term resident of the North East, she has exhibited widely throughout Australia, conducting workshops and presenting her work. Abi has won several awards for her wearable art, textiles, painting, and printmaking. Abi's prolific output ranges from large-scale oil and acrylic works to community murals and commissioned weavings.
image: Abi Thompson, Standing Still with Time, detail, 2020, graphite, gouache, watercolour on Arches paper, © Abi Thompson