ARTWORK DETAILS

Madeline Higgins St Augustine's College (Augustine Heights)
Let Them be Known, 2020 Painting
Diptych of watercolour, marker and acrylic on paper

ARTIST STATEMENT

Let Them be Known, 2020 responds to the treatment of refugees in a contemporary Australian society by revealing the stories of two refugee artists. Both are living in different forms of detention, which led me to investigate the difference between a house and a home. Although searching for a new home and trying to ‘blend in’, both of the subjects are constantly finding new ways to share their vibrant personalities and talents in Australia, bringing pieces of their past to us through art. My personal visual language and techniques seek to express these contradictory ideas of camouflage and vibrancy.

ARTWORK PROCESS

The faces of the subject matter were slowly built up with layers of watercolour and the background was colour blocked with saturated watercolour. Leaf-shaped stamps were carved from lino and stamped with acrylic. A range of expressive marks were created using markers of different shades and thicknesses until the desired result was achieved. Cicadas with delicate wing patterns were cut out of painted watercolour paper. This idea was a spontaneous adoption of an accident. I was decided that something should be flying out of her mouth to symbolise freedom.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Madeline Higgins

Biography not provided.