(Im)perfection

In Im(perfection), Kabriel uses still life as a stage to explore the complexities of human experience, blending the personal and the universal with striking intimacy. The exhibition invites viewers to linger over the interplay of the mundane and the profound—books, flowers, a Diazepam pill box, and tampons, all rendered in expressive oils. By juxtaposing objects with little-to-no tradition of painterly representation alongside floral subjects steeped in centuries of pictorial tradition, Kabriel draws attention to the overlooked and often stigmatised aspects of modern existence.

“These works are my response to how I experience the world and, more specifically, how I experience my inner world. These paintings are an expression of all my parts—my warmth, comforts, and safeties; my failings and vulnerabilities. It is my vitality, this life force, my imperfect humanness that I’m constantly trying to make sense of and accept. My hope is that you may be able to meet and experience this for yourselves,” she says.

Kabriel’s regional roots are a significant influence on her work. Her family home was in Razorback, and she recalls catching the bus to Mittagong’s Gib Gate for primary school before boarding at Frensham for high school. “Having that country upbringing never leaves you,” she reflects. “The sense of community, the connection to nature—it’s very much part of my identity.” She credits her art teacher, Miss Blackborough, with inspiring her interest in the graphic qualities of printmaking, which now influence her use of textiles and fabrics.

Now based in Bangalow on Bundjalung country, Kabriel continues to create work that reflects her deep connection to community and nature. Im(perfection) will be celebrated with an opening reception this Saturday, 30 November, between 2 and 4 pm, and runs until 29 December.

This exhibition marks Kabriel’s debut with Michael Reid Southern Highlands, arriving three years after her celebrated Softening the Eyes at the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.