This exhibition of mysterious moon-lit works by Judith Van Heeren highlights her interest in the interconnectedness of natural systems. These are works beyond any particular time or place. They are bathed in an eerie light, against skies still holding faintly coloured clouds, the moon is visible but the darkness is more like the half-light of an eclipse.

Arranged like a musical phrase along the front of each of the paintings are Australian native plants such as the bushy yate, hakea and banksia. As exuberant in death as in life, these plants are shown transformed into a flourish of dry curled leaves and architectural seed pods. Delicate tones of grey, olive and brown emphasise the structure and texture of their exterior surfaces. Balanced between life and death, these plants are poised to release shiny black seeds back into the earth.

Judith Van Heeren lives in Central Victoria and since graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1989 has developed a reputation for poetic, meticulously painted works that reference both science and art. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions and her work is held in many public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of Western Australia. She is represented by Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne.

Image: Judith Van Heeren, Supermoon 2024-25, oil on linen, courtesy the artist and Nicholas Thomson Gallery