In the Stillness

Next date: Friday, 31 July 2026 | 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM

Jaclyn Poke

In the Stillness is a series of paintings that captures personal memories embedded within the Tasmanian landscape. These natural spaces—places I return to time and again—inform my work in a way that feels both comforting and familiar, like revisiting old friends.

I feel most at ease when immersed in secluded nature, where the noise of everyday life fades and space opens for reflection. These places offer solace and rest—a chance to simply dwell in the present moment. Through this series, I aim to paint not just a place, but a feeling: the calm that washes over me in landscapes that quiet my inner world. If a viewer is drawn into that stillness—if they feel even a moment of calm—then I’ve achieved my goal.

While I was once captivated by water, I’ve recently been drawn more deeply into the rugged beauty of Tasmania’s bushland. There’s something wild, textural, and uniquely  raw about it—unlike anywhere else in Australia. I want to celebrate this wilderness, to pause and take in all that it offers.

I seek out spaces that are remote and isolating so that it calms my inner world. Although I crave peace and quiet, my work is active and busy, involving repetitive marks in my attempt to bring the scene to life. The mark making is a form of therapy for me and it acts as a balm to my nervous system.

Though my paintings are often layered with pattern and texture, leaving little negative space, the process of creating them is deeply meditative. Through this layering, I strive to evoke a moment of peace—not emptiness, but the fullness of presence.

 

Exhibition open 31 July to 26 September

 

 

When

Location

Burnie Regional Gallery, Burnie Arts Centre, 77-79 Wilmot st, Burnie, 7320, View Map and directions