About
Spending time between two iconic Australian landscapes—the farming and grazing country of the Riverina and South West Slopes of New South Wales, and the remote, less-populated areas of Central and Northern Australia—I engage with the enduring and fleeting qualities of the land through painting, drawing and sculpture. Since 1990, my ongoing visits to Thailand and Japan have profoundly influenced how I perceive, utilize, and express space. My work is rooted in an experiential sense of place, aligning with Edward Relph’s concept of the existential insider. I immerse myself in landscapes through walking, performing, collecting, sitting, reflecting, drawing, photographing, and later, creating in the studio.
I find inspiration in the subtle indicators that shape microclimates and localized environments. Differences within sites reveal the specificity of place. I explore the shifting relationships between humans, animals, and their surroundings, tracing patterns and rhythms that emerge over time. A Spinifex-covered hill, seemingly soft from a distance, reveals its spiky nature upon closer familiarity. The blackened scar of a fire-swept peninsula, the delineations of farmland, and the erosion of floodplains illustrate the dynamic interactions between human presence and ecological processes. These entanglements align with Donna J. Haraway’s idea that nature and culture are not separate but co-constituted—woven together through histories of use, adaptation, and disruption. Boundaries emerge not as fixed lines but as fluid zones of interaction where land, climate, and living beings continually shape one another.
This sense of entanglement is heightened through my travels in Asia, where I remain a visitor rather than an insider. Cultural distinctions initially define the divide, requiring alternative strategies to engage with the temporal and spatial qualities of place. Buddhist concepts of mindful emptiness offer a framework for perceiving space differently. Over time, landscapes reveal their patterns—formed by both human intervention and natural forces—shaping my artistic response. My work reflects our evolving relationship with the land, tracing the evidence of existence, endeavor, and our ongoing attempts to understand the landscapes we inhabit.
I share a studio at Murrumbateman on Ngunnawal land near Canberra Australia with my partner, sculptor David Jensz. I work full time as a freelance artist and arts consultant. I taught at the Australian National University, School of Art and Design for many years and have strong creative ties to Canberra and the ACT. I have maintained a constant research and exhibition schedule, presenting new work each year in solo exhibitions and/or selected and curated exhibitions since the late 1980's. (see CV)
I find inspiration in the subtle indicators that shape microclimates and localized environments. Differences within sites reveal the specificity of place. I explore the shifting relationships between humans, animals, and their surroundings, tracing patterns and rhythms that emerge over time. A Spinifex-covered hill, seemingly soft from a distance, reveals its spiky nature upon closer familiarity. The blackened scar of a fire-swept peninsula, the delineations of farmland, and the erosion of floodplains illustrate the dynamic interactions between human presence and ecological processes. These entanglements align with Donna J. Haraway’s idea that nature and culture are not separate but co-constituted—woven together through histories of use, adaptation, and disruption. Boundaries emerge not as fixed lines but as fluid zones of interaction where land, climate, and living beings continually shape one another.
This sense of entanglement is heightened through my travels in Asia, where I remain a visitor rather than an insider. Cultural distinctions initially define the divide, requiring alternative strategies to engage with the temporal and spatial qualities of place. Buddhist concepts of mindful emptiness offer a framework for perceiving space differently. Over time, landscapes reveal their patterns—formed by both human intervention and natural forces—shaping my artistic response. My work reflects our evolving relationship with the land, tracing the evidence of existence, endeavor, and our ongoing attempts to understand the landscapes we inhabit.
I share a studio at Murrumbateman on Ngunnawal land near Canberra Australia with my partner, sculptor David Jensz. I work full time as a freelance artist and arts consultant. I taught at the Australian National University, School of Art and Design for many years and have strong creative ties to Canberra and the ACT. I have maintained a constant research and exhibition schedule, presenting new work each year in solo exhibitions and/or selected and curated exhibitions since the late 1980's. (see CV)
Wendy Teakel creating a poker work near Glen Helen, Northern Territory, Australia. Photography Kim Mahood