The Sanctuary is a deeply personal body of drawings that translates Shonnie Lea’s emotional landscape into visual form. Imagined as a living entity, the sanctuary is both protective and fragile, revealing the points where safety gives way to vulnerability.
Throughout the exhibition, an underlying ache exists alongside a quiet determination toward healing. The works function as both reflection and exchange, inviting viewers into a space where artist, artwork and audience meet through shared experiences of struggle and resilience.
The figures depicted are often caught in moments of physical turmoil, exposing states of tension, release and transformation. Acting as a form of confession, the drawings acknowledge that this sanctuary has not always been a place of refuge. Instead, it bears traces of shame, self-destruction, fracture and recovery.
Rendered with raw immediacy, the works refuse concealment. Vulnerability is presented openly, allowing lived experience to remain visible and unresolved. Through this process, Shonnie Lea creates a judgement-free space shaped by resilience and self-understanding
Opening Event
Thursday 4 June 2026
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Artist in Conversation
Thursday 4 June 2026
5:30pm
