PROJECT #8: Tess Kerbel, Place and Displacement

Inspired by the current Frugal Forest exhibition and the work of recent artist-in-residence Stephen Michael King, local wordsmith Tess Kerbel will display a series of word paintings on the wall at the Manning Regional Gallery from December 14 to January 15.

The series combines prose and poetry with watercolour to create images of landscape and self, “because I think those things are inherently connected,” Tess says.

The series explores the themes of city/country and place/displacement, including the ultimate displacement: the destruction of our habitat.

“I’m interested in the places where the boundaries blur together,” Tess says, “like the boundaries between visual art and writing, or between prose and poetry.”

Gallery-goers will also have the opportunity to participate in a collaborative story, to be kicked off by the writer and displayed in the space.

Tess Kerbel is a writer and editor local to Wingham. Her poetry and illustrations have been published sporadically in journals over the last ten years or so, including Harvest, Voiceworks and Blue Dog, and online in Rubric and on Arts Hub. Her qualifications include an MA in Creative Writing (UNSW) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction (COFA).  

Check out this great story in the Manning River Times about Tessa's work.