RIVER OF CONNECTION - VALERIE KIRK

Next date: Wednesday, 15 July 2026 | 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE EXHIBITION

27 June – 1 August

HALLWAY GALLERY

A quiet dialogue between landscape, history, and making—foregrounding care, connection, respect and continuity through investigating the Onkaparinga River and blankets.

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Opening Saturday 27 June 2–4pm

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Please join Valerie to celebrate the launch of River of Connection. Valerie joins studio friends Sera Waters, Libby Rose and Joseph Boas for an informative series of short artist talks to open the exhibitions from 2:30pm.

 

Developed during the River of Connection residency, this body of work emerges from time spent along the Onkaparinga River—following its curving bends to the river mouth where it opens into the sea. Through sustained observation, I engaged closely with the textures and rhythms of the environment: plant life, bird movement, shifting sands, riverbanks, and the interplay of weather and light. These encounters were absorbed through a sensory, attentive process that underpins the visual language of the work.

The broader river catchment extends east toward Lobethal, where the historic Onkaparinga Woollen Mill once relied on water for the textile production. Time spent at Fabrik Arts + Heritage, housed within the former mill, offered insight into the social and industrial histories embedded in this site. Stories surrounding the mill’s blankets—objects that continue to be used, preserved, and passed on—revealed a culture of care, longevity, and emotional connection. These “blanket stories” inform the conceptual and material direction of the work.

The project draws on Japanese philosophies that value attentiveness and respect toward materials and processes. The ethos of mottainai informs an approach grounded in sustainability, minimising waste, and honouring the resources and labour inherent in making. Wabi-sabi guides an appreciation of imperfection and transience, while monozukuri reflects a commitment to thoughtful, skilled making with an emphasis on durability and meaningful use.

The works are realised through a combination of drawing, printing, stitching, and weaving. Imagery and material sensibility are shaped by both the river environment and the legacy of the Onkaparinga blankets, resulting in pieces that hold traces of place, memory, and process. Together, they propose a quiet dialogue between landscape, history, and making—foregrounding care, connection, respect and continuity.

Image: Fibulae, 2026, wool, felt, cotton thread, beads, dimensions variable. Photo courtesy Artist.

When

Location

Sauerbier House, 21 Wearing Street, Port Noarlunga, 5167, View Map