Onespace presents Wild Tender Close, a major exhibition by Marian Drew spanning both the Main and Lounge Galleries. Marking over two decades since the beginning of her renowned Australiana Still Life series, the exhibition brings together 46 significant works, curated by the artist herself.
Drew’s practice reimagines the traditional still life through intricate and often haunting photographic compositions of deceased Australian fauna, contributed by a wider community. These works transform subjects often dismissed as ‘roadkill’ into deeply considered portraits, reflecting care, dignity, and quiet reverence.
Through this lens, Drew invites audiences to reconsider human relationships with the natural world. As writer Pippa Milne reflects, the works prompt us to see animals not as peripheral, but as central to shared existence—beings with their own presence, value, and knowledge.
A highlight of the exhibition is 12 Wishes, a large-scale work stretching 7.5 metres, presented in Brisbane for the first time. While developed over twenty years, the collection resonates with renewed urgency in the context of climate change and habitat loss, offering both reflection and moments of stillness.
Opening Event
Saturday 18 April, 4 – 7pm
Artist Talk: 4 – 5pm
Gallery Walkthrough with Artist
Saturday 2 May, 2 – 4pm
Image: Marian Drew, Potoroo with Protea, 2004, archival pigment print on cotton paper, sizes variable. Image: Courtesy of the artist and Onespace.
