Peta West
Based in Lake Conjola on the South Coast of NSW, Peta West is a linoleum relief printmaker whose sprawling monochromatic works evoke the richness of the Australian bush. Her enduring subject, the Black Cockatoo, appears feasting on banksia pods amid waratahs and flannel flowers, while kingfishers nestle near water lotuses and blooming kapok.
In 2023, West journeyed to the Northern Territory, an experience that inspired the Songlines series. This departure from her coastal surroundings allowed her to explore the unique flora and fauna of Australia’s vast interior. In her prints, each scene becomes a self-contained world, where plants and animals thrive in lush abundance.
Working in her backyard studio, Peta painstakingly carves intricate images into linoleum to create negative space, mid-tones, and shadow areas. She then rolls rich Prussian blue ink onto the surface before pressing handmade Japanese paper onto the lino to produce her prints. This meticulous technique can take up to 280 hours in the studio to develop some of her largest pieces.
Among her many crowning achievements, we are fortunate to have Halcyon Song (2024) in the gallery, a piece inspired by West’s experiences in Nitmiluk National Park and her 63 km journey along the Jatbula Trail through Jawoyn Country. “The title Halcyon holds dual meanings, referring both to kingfishers and to an idyllic, nostalgic time,” she explains. “We are surrounded by water and the life it sustains. A kingfisher looks out from the composition, guiding our eye across a scene brimming with abundance—water lotuses, blooming kapok flowers, and sprawling banksias. A flock of black cockatoos rises across towering rock faces into a boundless sky.”
After dabbling in graphite, charcoal, and pastels, Peta began working with lino ten years ago, inspired by Margaret Preston’s bold interpretations of the Sydney landscape. Prior to this, she spent over two decades as a photographer, a practice that sharpened her eye for composition and depth. Her time in the darkroom instilled a lasting love for monochrome and nurtured her appreciation for the hands-on process of image-making.
The local community is vitally important to Peta. She and her family were evacuated from their lakeside home during the Black Summer bushfires, which devastated much of the national park surrounding the village. Witnessing the wildlife bounce back has been incredible for her. Peta actively participates in the Milton-Ulladulla Escape Arts Festival and has donated works to charities to help raise funds for cancer and conservation projects.
West’s work has steadily gained the attention of galleries and collectors. Recent exhibitions include Songlines at Gallery Alchemy Milton (2024), the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize (2024), The Alice Prize (2024), and Linked at Frances Keevil Gallery (2024). Her piece Halcyon Song (2024) received high commendation in the Ravenswood Prize and won the 2024 Open Winner at the National Contemporary Art Prize . Additionally, West has been a finalist in The Alice Prize, Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, and the Waverley Art Prize.
