Through the Fray brings together sculpture and installation by three artists who each draw from the rituals, roles and objects that, while ubiquitous and often unspoken or overlooked, carry significant weight in shaping who we are. Everyday materials: steel wool, furniture, sugar, timber posts and wire, speak to the lived experiences of each artist, and each artwork holds inherited and questioned narratives.

A recliner sofa embroidered by Isabella Lepoamo with Samoan siapo, crewel and blackwork designs and symbols holds a throne-like authority, referencing memories from her childhood of her father and grandfather, and the household rituals and habits she associates with each of them. Beer bottle sculptures made from sugar glass and shaped into lillies surround the chair, marking a transformation and an acknowledgement of the complexities of holding on to cultural and familial memories.

~ Simon Palenski