Helen Wiese

Raised in rural New South Wales and now living in Sydney with my family, my practice is deeply influenced by both my urban surroundings and memories of my early life on the farm. I am drawn to the emotional connections between urban, rural, and coastal landscapes, exploring the contrasts and relationships between these worlds.

A self-confessed gatherer, I am drawn to objects weathered by time—discarded, worn, and forgotten fragments of the world around me. I incorporate these materials into my work, building layers of texture, marks, and tones that breathe new life into them while connecting my rural, coastal, and city experiences.

My practice embraces a diverse range of mixed media. I work intuitively, using a variety of tools and techniques and allowing the materials to guide the process. Rather than beginning with a fixed idea, I respond to what emerges, allowing each work to evolve organically. Layering, collaging, scraping, rubbing, sanding, and removing paint create surfaces rich in depth, character, and subtle texture. For me, this process is grounding and deeply personal. It becomes a form of reflection and healing, where each layer added or removed can reveal emotions, vulnerabilities, and strengths—much like the layers of our own lives. Through this process, my work becomes a visual exploration of resilience, connection, memory, and the ongoing dialogue between past and present.