Hawkesbury river

Rivers are powerful forces—shaping landscapes, ecosystems, and histories. Yet, when their natural courses are disrupted by human intervention, the consequences ripple far beyond the banks.

My work responds to the Hawkesbury River, which flows past where I live and regularly reminds me of its force and vulnerability. After recent floods, I walked along its edges and witnessed the aftermath: scattered furniture, uprooted logs, broken remnants of human life, and countless polystyrene “beads”—tiny synthetic invaders in a natural world.

This artwork speaks with the voice of the river. The image captures a flooded landscape, while the printed words represent what the river might tell us—if we were listening. It’s a visual and textual reflection on the relationship between human impact and natural systems, and a reminder of the stories held in water.