Peanut Tree
Sterculia quadrifida

This cyclone-resistant tree blooms with delicate white flowers at the start of the Wet Season, bringing lightness and freshness to the landscape. As its bright red fruits ripen, the surrounding environment transforms, standing out vividly against the terrain and attracting native insects and birds.

This tree is a valuable food source for First Nations people. Its seeds are not only highly nutritious but also have a rich, peanut-like flavour. The leaf juice is known for its medicinal properties, while the bark is used for crafting fishing gear and weaving.

This artwork invites the viewer to reflect on the beauty of life; from a tiny seed sprouting into a new shoot, to a withered leaf carried away by the wind. Each stage holds its own cosmic significance in this endless cycle: humble flowers transform into vibrant, succulent fruits, only to complete their journey and make way for a new beginning.

Watercolour & Digital Design

Screw Palm
Pandanus spiralis

This endemic and iconic Australian plant is a characteristic of the Northern Territory ecosystem and shapes the coastal landscape. Thriving along the edges of coastal dunes, it acts like a natural weathervane, revealing the direction and intensity of sea winds.

For First Nation Australians, this plant holds great cultural significance and practical use. The Pandanus fruits are consumed as food, its juice is valued for its healing properties, and the leaves and roots are used for weaving ropes, artworks and crafting household items.

The inspiration for this work came during the Dry Season when its vibrant, deep-orange fruits ripen. The wind, an invisible force of nature, lifts and drops them like meteorites, shattering upon impact into intricate geometric forms.

Watercolour & Digital Design

Red Bush Apple
Syzygium suborbiculare

This tree is fundamental to the ecosystem of Northern Australia, providing shade and nectar for variety of pollinators. Its large, creamy flowers gradually develop into vibrant ruby-red fruits, attracting variety of creatures, including birds and small mammals and supporting the region’s biodiversity.

For First Nations people, the Red Bush Apple has great significance. Its fruits have long been consumed as food, its wood used as fuel and the leaves and fruits have medicinal applications.

The striking appearance of the Red Bush Apple inspires me. The plant’s smooth, glossy leaves reflect the cool sky in their highlights, providing a strong contrast to the bright, ridged, and deeply textured fruits. I am especially attracted by its subsequent transformation; after falling to the ground, the fruits split open, revealing a snow white core that gently cradles the developing seeds.

Watercolour & Digital Design

Morning Glory
Ipomea pes-caprae

Ipomoea pes-caprae, known as Morning Glory, unveils its ethereal and enchanting flowers on the boundary between land and sea. Each morning, its silken petals in hues of sunrise pink open toward the new day as if reminding us of the power of new beginnings. It fears neither salty winds nor heavy rains; its anchoring roots solidly bind the sand, preserving dunes and providing shelter for insects and small animals.

This plant is a valuable resource for First Nations people; its roots can serve as food, while its leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes.

Morning Glory reminds us that every sunrise is a chance for life. But for many species, that dawn may never come if we do not maintain the fragile balance of nature.

Watercolour & Digital Design

Sea Hibiscus and Sea Purslane
Hibiscus tiliaceus, Sesuvium portulacastrum

These two remarkable plants play essential roles in Northen Australia’s coastal ecosystems. Hibiscus tiliaceus, with its vibrant flowers ranging from sunny yellow to soft lemon, blooms year-round, beautifully decorating and reinforcing the shore. Like unseen protectors, its roots stabilise the dunes and purify the water, supporting the ecosystem.

For First Nations people, this tree is an embodiment of strength: its wood lights fire, branches can become spears, and its bark is used for weaving. The flowers, leaves, and roots are edible, and the sap, like a healing elixir, is used for medicinal purposes.

No less important is Sesuvium portulacastrum, a plant that withstands severe storms and extreme heat. It confidently spreads across the shore, helping to secure mounds of sand and ornaments the coast with succulent olive-hued leaves and delicate lilac-pink star-shaped flowers. Together, these plants
symbolise resilience and life along the shore, seamlessly integrating into the ecosystem and cultural traditions.

Watercolour & Digital Design