Nerine Martini and Paula Broom: upcoming artists-in-residence

Paula Broom and Nerine Martini working together in Sydney 2018

Nerine Martini is a visual artist, based in Sydney, working across the fields of sculpture, installation, socially engaged art, public art and drawing. Her work has been included in major award exhibitions such as Sculpture by the Sea, the Blake Prize and the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Awards. Nerine's practice shifts continually between her studio and exhibition practice and working on community-based, public art projects. Martini is currently a PhD candidate at Sydney College of the Arts. More info nerinemartini.com


Nerine Martini, Holding the Key, 2017, photograph by Paula Broom
excerpt of work in progress with community groups at Blacktown Arts Centre

Sydney-based artist and environmentalist, Paula Broom, believes art can reconnect us to our natural world and built environments, as well as to ourselves, our health and each other. Working in expanded photo-media, she explores ecological, social and personal issues relating to loss, death, extinction and our collective future. Paula's work has recently been selected as a finalist in Head On Photo Festival Awards and the Australian Photography Awards. She is an active member of the environmental artist’s collective the Tree Veneration Society, and also manages Instagramers Sydney on Instagram, underpinning her sentiment that art creates a strong sense of place, connects people and creates social cohesion. 
More info environmeanttobe.wordpress.com


Paula Broom, Endless Pink Ladder, 2017, bricklayers line and painted dowel

Nerine and Paula met as patients at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in 2016 whilst undergoing treatment for breast cancer. They recognised in each other a shared interest in creating artworks that engage both art and nature in the healing process and subsequently began exhibiting together later that year. Even though they have both finished their breast cancer treatments, they continue to live with an increased level of uncertainty and therefore wish to use their time at Gunyah to investigate more personal notions of health, conferred by nature and art.


Nerine Martini, Social Scaffold, 2017, bamboo, porcelain, string, hessian sandbags, (detail view)

During their Gunyah residency Nerine Martini and Paula Broom plan to explore experiences of the human body in the landscape, the human body as landscape; and relationships between health, wellbeing and the natural environment. This will include drawing and frotage techniques, as well as working with Olloclips (macro lenses) with mobile phones in the field, which will then be combined collaboratively back in the studio. The process of walking in and through the landscape will contribute to the conceptual development of the artwork, by physically relating to the environment. The senses of smell, touch, sight and sound, will all be involved in reconnecting with the physicality of being in the body and being in the landscape, an immersion in nature.


Paula Broom, Goodbye to all that, 2017, waterproofed plaster