faces of fire Portraits of Cobargo
This is a project that I have been working on for a few years.
In 2020 after the Black Summer bushfires, I was part of the local community meet-ups.
Many people expressed to me that their stories were being forgotten as the world's attention moved on.
My idea as I listened to these stories of loss was to find a way to record the experiences of the people. I wanted to honour them by painting their portraits and recording their stories.
I received a grant from the Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund to cover my expenses.
Then the search began to see who would sit for a portrait.
the portrait paintings
The portraits have had two showings so far. First was a small two hour showing at the Cobargo Folk Festival in 2023 with 20 completed portraits.
Second was at the Cobargo RSL hall in February 2026.
The portrait paintings will now be part of the permanent collection at the Cobargo Resilience Centre along with the voice recordings of their stories.
I am so grateful for the generosity of the people who have sat down to tell their stories and to have their portrait painted. Thank you.