Artist Statement for
Wretched Aftertaste

On Christmas Eve, 1974, as Darwin prepared to celebrate a season of joy and connection, an unrelenting force descended, transforming festive cheer into a living nightmare. Cyclone Tracy left no family untouched, its fury dismantling homes, lives, and dreams.

This painting encapsulates the eerie juxtaposition of the season’s vibrant colours—reds and greens of Christmas mingling with the bold palettes of the 1970s—against the darkness of devastation. Scattered glasses of celebratory drinks, overturned and wasted, echo the tragic loss of innocence, a poignant symbol of the lives cut short.

This work invites viewers to reflect on the fragility of joy and the resilience of a community united by shared loss. It stands as a reminder of the raw and untamed power of nature and the enduring scars it leaves behind—a vintage of wine I fervently hope never to taste.