Exhibitions / Memento -Pictures of you

01.10.2022 to 26.11.2022

Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra, NSW

‘Memento – pictures of you’ (after The Cure) are personal works of the artist’s loving relationship of this land and its inhabitants, during her three years spent in residence at Bundanon Trust and the Shoalhaven region.

Consisting of paintings and works on paper, combinations of ‘free style’ Australian ikebana landscape arrangements with fauna, predominately of the loving pair of Gang Gang cockatoos that visited her daily in Tapitallee.

Initially Kalabishis set herself a journey to create works of the Shoalhaven river, the Bundanon floor to sky to sea. However due to historic circumstances preventing her from returning to the region for two years, these visions shifted into nostalgic mementos of the romantic landscapes she walked and ran, stopping to gather foliage for arrangements under the watchful eyes of its inhabitants.

The Greek poet Callimachus’ poignant poem leveraged this art journey to push Kalabishis’ own unique visual language of the Australian landscape.

’Leave open ways and trodden tracks alone and go the way that’s narrow but your own’.

"I gratefully acknowledge the wonderful and enduring support of these organisations and people in my life over this five year period: The Wodi Wodi of the Yuin Nation, The Shoalhaven Regional Gallery and staff, Bronwyn Coulston, Bridget Macleod, Rahima Miriam and Eva Hampel. The Bundanon Trust and staff: a heartfelt thank you to Yvonne and Arthur Boyd and Family, Deborah Ely, Julie Ryan ( for her faith in me, the art work and her generous hospitality, John Baylis, Ralph Dixon (for the special gang gang cockatoos and incredible hospitatlity), Jennifer Thompson, Charies Matugas, Michael Blount, Mary Preece, Jim Birkett and Gary Hogan. Artist Profile: Victoria Hynes, Erin McFadyen, Kon Gouriotis. Neos Kosmos: Iris Papathanasiou. Dr Ryan Jefferies (Science Gallery, Melbourne University), Hamish Coates, Eamon Coates, Alexander Coates, Anya Mckee, David Keys and Tamara McGuane (Art Spectrum) Claire Harris (Flinders Lane Gallery), Jenny Collodetti, Michael Varcoe-Cocks,The Aboriginal Community Elders Services Inc (ACES), Dr Mal Eutick, John McDonald and Dr Leigh Summers (EMSLA), Nicole Moore (LALC) TarraWarra Museum of Art.
And the unique flora, fauna and environment of the south coast NSW."
Gina Kalabishis 2022

This show is dedicated to the late Inga Clendinnen, AO, FAHA, Australian author, historian, anthropologist, and academic, and the late Jim Birkett, Artist and art educator at Bundanon Trust.