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Kath Egan and Kate Rohde - We were made for these times
5 February 2022 - 27 February 2022
Gallery 3

We were made for these times
5 February – 27 March 2022

Kate Rohde and Kath Egan share an interest in the memory and associations in objects, subverting this with playful twists and changing our relationship to these loaded items. The artists created new work for We were made for these times in response to the personal and universal experience of upheaval and discontent experienced through the pandemic. The exhibition speaks to realm of the psyche, conjuring memories and concepts materialised in form. While several of the works are somewhat gothic in nature expressing a Victorian memento mori-melancholy, there are also pieces of optimism and hope. The works signal a glitch whilst the artists searched for equilibrium and meaning during this tumultuous time.

Northern Rivers based artist, Kath Egan’s totems of nostalgic domestic objects and polished reflective surfaces invite the viewer into a space of imagination and contemplation, evoking a state of wonder and hint at the sublime in the mundane. Her work seeks to portray a broad and inclusive spirituality unconfined by institutions and dogma. It is an invitation to consider the role Jungian archetypes and mythology may play in providing us with wisdom in these uncertain times and a new psychological framework. “I am looking towards a new narrative based in ecology, regeneration and renewal rather than continuing our worship of economic rationalism.”

Kate Rohde, based in Melbourne, expresses a personal response in her work speaking to the small joys that have helped her get through this time, in particular connecting with nature and creativity. “For me art making, particularly sculpting has long been therapeutic, and the additional time I’ve been able to spend in the studio has helped to maintain my sense of equilibrium and happiness during this time of unrest.” Rohde’s sculptural pieces are informed by the forms of historical funerary urns, each one a symbolic response to experiences of individuals close to the artist during the turmoil of the past two years.

A Lismore Regional Gallery exhibition

Image: Kath Egan, 2021, Totems of Renewal and Re-generation, digital image, courtesy the artist