Mai-Wel Artist Spotlight: Tara
Meet Tara, one of the talented artists in Mai-Wel’s Social, Community and Creative Pathways programs whose textile and fibre practice is shaped by continuous learning and deep community connection.
As an active member of regional arts organisations throughout the Hunter Valley, Tara draws inspiration from a vibrant network of fellow makers, seeking out diverse techniques from millinery and felted sculpture to slow stitch and found object assemblage, allowing traditional and contemporary methods to inform one another. Each workshop and collaboration refines her visual language and expands her creative possibilities.
Influences and Process
Central to Tara’s work is embracing imperfection. Influenced by wabi-sabi principles, she creates pieces that honour the fragility and resilience found in fibre and reclaimed materials.
Through layering, stitching and mark-making, Tara responds to fragments, reworking and repairing to reveal new narratives.
Exhibiting Her Work
Her work has been exhibited across regional galleries, festivals and agricultural shows from the Hunter Valley to Alice Springs. Tara believes art belongs in conversation with everyday life, and continues to push boundaries through regular participation in creative groups and recovery arts programs, recognising that making is both a personal journey and a collective practice of healing.
This year, Tara is sharing three pieces as part of Mai-Wel’s Unbound Art Exhibition at 201 Vincent Street, Cessnock:
- Totsuzan (Acrylic and embroidery beads on canvas)
- Gum Leaf (Wet felted)
- Cocoon (Wet felted)
- Bushfire Pod (Wet felted)
Each piece is a reflection of her unique creative voice and her commitment to pushing boundaries through making.
Supporting Artists
Mai-Wel’s Social, Community and Creative Pathways programs provide an avenue for people to explore, create and progress their creative skills, extending arts practice and access for artists with disability.
We’re proud to support artists like Josh in building his practice and sharing his story with the wider community.
