At Carmel Robertson’s upcoming exhibition, locals who venture inside the space at Shepparton Art Museum will experience a strange kind of homecoming that feels both foreign and familiar.
Set to debut on Saturday, November 23, the solo exhibition ‘Wish you were here’ is a series of oil paintings that depict Shepparton’s landscapes and landmarks with warped strokes of pigment.
“Carmel Robertson has created an engaging body of work, which we are thrilled to share at SAM for the first time,” SAM curator of community Caroline Esbenshade said.
“Her oil paintings are moody, dreamlike, and infuse very familiar scenery from our town with a touch of the unknown.”
Ms Robertson, an emerging painter based in the Goulburn Valley, was an art educator before finding her artistic footing in retirement.
In the past year, she has developed a distinct style that subtly leans into surrealism, reimagining the region she calls home.
“This exhibition will resonate with locals particularly, who will enjoy seeing our landscape through a new lens,” Ms Esbenshade said.
The work offers a personal commentary on Shepparton as a transient space, pictured by scenes of empty streets and hidden pathways that blur the lines between reality and imagination.
Ms Robertson’s meanings and methods will be further explained at an exhibition opening event held at SAM on Saturday, November 23.
“I’m excited to hear the reflections it draws out of people over its duration,” Ms Esbenshade said.
‘Wish you were here’ will be displayed in the Hugh D.T. Williamson Community Gallery at Shepparton Art Museum, 530 Wyndham St, Shepparton, from November 23 to March 2, 2025.
The exhibition opening event is on Saturday, November 23, at 2.30pm at SAM.
To register for the free event, visit events.humanitix.com/exhibition-opening-or-carmel-robertson-wish-you-were-here