Staying with the Trouble - Regeneration
This body of work forms part of the “Staying with the Trouble – Regeneration” exhibition, held at Wagga Art Gallery from 22 November 2025 to 1 February 2026. The project is the result of an evolving process of exploration and creative inquiry by four senior practitioners: Linda Dening, Kim Mahood, Sally Simpson and Wendy Teakel. Working together in close association, they developed a collection of all new works, each shaped and inspired by their shared experiences during an extraordinary residency at Bibbaringa, a regenerative farm at Bowna, NSW.
Regenerative agriculture seeks to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity and leave land, water and climate in better condition for future generations. The spirit and wellbeing of place are central to this philosophy. At Bibbaringa, the farmer draws on both Indigenous and settler wisdoms, seeking balance on unceded land through care and consultation.
For Wendy, walking the paddocks at Bibbaringa was existential; she felt the quiet resilience of the land, the spring of soil beneath her feet, the faint hum of life moving unseen below. Beneath the surface, the microbiome labours ceaselessly, turning what has fallen into renewal and threading vitality through every root and stem. The farm unfolds like a vast, breathing carpet, embroidered by the farmer’s hand and by the intricate living systems that sustain it.
In the studio, Wendy follows these sensations into material form. Working with Kozo paper and Hahnemühle-mounted panels, she uses pokerwork, collage, charcoal and pastel, each an earthy, tactile process that resonates with the pulse of place. The geometry of paddocks, the rise of tree lines and the shimmer of grasses become compositional threads, echoing the quiet reciprocity between land and hand, where creation and renewal move in continuous rhythm.
Regenerative agriculture seeks to restore soil and ecosystem health, address inequity and leave land, water and climate in better condition for future generations. The spirit and wellbeing of place are central to this philosophy. At Bibbaringa, the farmer draws on both Indigenous and settler wisdoms, seeking balance on unceded land through care and consultation.
For Wendy, walking the paddocks at Bibbaringa was existential; she felt the quiet resilience of the land, the spring of soil beneath her feet, the faint hum of life moving unseen below. Beneath the surface, the microbiome labours ceaselessly, turning what has fallen into renewal and threading vitality through every root and stem. The farm unfolds like a vast, breathing carpet, embroidered by the farmer’s hand and by the intricate living systems that sustain it.
In the studio, Wendy follows these sensations into material form. Working with Kozo paper and Hahnemühle-mounted panels, she uses pokerwork, collage, charcoal and pastel, each an earthy, tactile process that resonates with the pulse of place. The geometry of paddocks, the rise of tree lines and the shimmer of grasses become compositional threads, echoing the quiet reciprocity between land and hand, where creation and renewal move in continuous rhythm.
Microbiome Bibbaringa, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, pastel, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Nutrient Cycle, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, pastel, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Paddock Edges, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, pastel, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Bibbaringa Paddocks, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, pastel, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Grasslands, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, pastel, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Fence Lines, 2025
soot, charcoal, pokerwork, acrylic, Hahnemulhe 350 gsm paper mounted on birch panel, 76 X 55 cm |
Soil Matrix, 2025
charcoal, pastel on Kozo 46 gsm 140 X 97 cm |
Hill Pastures, 2025
charcoal, pastel on Kozo 46 gsm 140 X 97 cm |
Tapestry of Life, 2025
charcoal, pastel on Kozo 46 gsm 140 X 97 cm |
Rotation-Fresh Pastures, 2025
charcoal, pastel on Kozo 46 gsm 189 X 94 cm |
Microbiome-Soil and Pasture, 2025
charcoal, pastel on Kozo 46 gsm 189 X 94 cm |
Humus, 2024
charcoal, pastel, on Kozo 46 gsm H 94 X W 64 cm |
Rich Pastures, 2024
charcoal, pastel, on Kozo 46 gsm H 94 X W 64 cm |
Bibbaringa Paddocks - Soils and Grasses, 2024
charcoal, pastel, on Kozo 46 gsm H 94 X W 64 cm |