The works in this exhibition feature deliberate mark-making that evokes the surfaces and patterns of the natural world, but was informed by shame over, and complicity in, colonial legacies and ongoing environmental vandalism. Michelle finds awe in the quiet ways nature leaves its mark; the sinuous meander of a river mirroring the inscription of a scribbly gum moth. Michelle’s practice is a reflection of my desire to foster relationships based on reciprocity, curiosity, and wonder, acknowledging that we are merely participants in, not masters of, the more-than-human world.

Michelle Cann is a ceramic artist based in Warragul South, West Gippsland – Gunnaikurnai country. Her practice responds to the Australian environment, exploring the intersection of grief and wonder. Ephemerality, mark-making, and allegory are central themes in her work. Through material exploration and glaze testing developed at the School of Clay and Art (SoCA) between 2022 and 2026, Michelle incorporates found rocks and collected wood ash into glazes and uses re-purposed natural and man-made objects to adorn surfaces, embedding fragments of place and history into her work.