THE WAY HOME is a series of mixed media paintings that explore the idea of home as both a place and a feeling. Each work captures a friend, family member or significant place, painted on fabrics that I have naturally dyed using native plants and botanicals gathered on Wiradjuri lands in Orange, NSW and from the areas around Naarm/Melbourne, where I am currently based. My main dye material is native eucalyptus, as these trees surrounded my family home. This choice grounds my installation in the landscapes of my childhood, my first place of belonging. Through painting and embroidery, the works embody warmth, memory, and connection.
Guided by the question “What is home?”, this body of work reflects on how home exists beyond physical space. For me, it lives within the people who bring comfort and support, and within the memories I hold close. Each piece is hand-framed using old frame slats from my Grandfather’s Men Shed in Cumnock, NSW, adding a sense of home and reuse. My embroidery connects me to the women in my family – taught to me by my great aunt and cousin – and some fabrics used are old handkerchiefs passed down from my Grandmother in Gilgandra, NSW. These choices bring an intimate and personal quality to the work, tying together place, memory, and family in a quiet, honest way. The installation will create a familiar environment, inviting viewers into a space that feels warm and domestic, where they are encouraged to reflect on their own understandings of home and the people, places, and memories that define it.
Ella Robins is a visual artist working primarily with painting, natural dyeing, and textiles to explore memory, place, and belonging. Growing up on Wiradjuri land in Orange, NSW, she developed a deep connection to the natural environment that continues to inform her practice. Drawing from her surroundings and the people closest to her, Ella’s work reflects a quiet sensitivity to the materials she uses and the stories they hold. Her process-based approach transforms natural materials into intimate reflections on identity, connection, and the landscapes that shape us.