Artist Kelcie Bryant-Duguid explores the quiet spaces inhabited between the harsh reality of the 2020 news-cycle with that of the idyllic childhood concerns of daydreams, escapism, and play in She dreams in colour, an exhibition opening at Newcastle’s Timeless Textiles gallery in March.

The multi-disciplinary, materials-based artist uses text and stitch to explore political and social issues. Her new exhibition responds to the way that the devastating black summer bushfires and the global pandemic changed the way we interact, work and live.

“The impact on local communities and separated families has been enormous,” she said. “Isolation from loved ones has made us yearn for what went before. But the pandemic has also given us the gift of time, an escape from the usual busy-ness of life that offers moments for reflection and introspection.”

Paper, print and stitch are continuing elements of Kelcie’s work. She employs repetition of pattern, texture, colour and form in her two and three-dimensional paper works. Her stitched landscapes and printed bird and banksia themed textile works are motivated by memory and longing. Time spent observing and interpreting local surroundings, with a focus on a garden, car trips and cloud gazing, are inspiration for her narrative works.

“Language is important and shapes our cultural expectation, responsibility and action,” Kelcie explains. “The power of news reporting cannot be underestimated. It is how we learn about the world and local events. But we live in an age of ‘fake’ news, ‘alternative facts’ and right-wing political agendas where language is used to censor and discredit. Minimising and name-calling to damage reputations and belittle opposing viewpoints have become omnipresent.”

Kelcie uses coiling and stitching to transform ‘black and white’ print into muted comforting heathered yarns and woven forms. Her continuous stitch creates a metaphor for managing the chaos and panic that news reports evoke.