The gallery was filled with powerful energy as people engaged deeply with the artworks and the themes of the exhibition. Our guest speakers, Dr Monika Lukowska, Sheree Schonian, and Isabella Jacqueline, delivered heartfelt and thought-provoking remarks about gender-based violence, artistic resistance, and the role of creative expression in healing. The evening was a beautiful and emotional celebration of solidarity, care, and strength, and marked a powerful beginning to the exhibition’s run.

The Feminine Fragility exhibition has sparked profound connection, reflection, and emotional response. Visitors from diverse backgrounds, artists, musicians, writers, survivors, educators, have engaged deeply with the works on display. 

During the first week a group of local writers responded to the exhibition by creating and reading original poems inspired by the art. Conversations unfolded in the gallery space and stories were shared. Musicians brought spontaneous sound to the fabric installation, enhancing the sensory atmosphere. 

Several visitors expressed how meaningful it is to finally see the topic of domestic violence addressed through art, honestly, but with gentleness and grace. 

The installation of 50 sheer fabric dresses, each representing a woman killed in Australia in 2024 by an intimate partner or family member, has become a focal point for shared grief and quiet witnessing. 

Many have commented on the power of this central structure, how it holds space for the tensions between visibility and invisibility, safety and danger, home and harm. 

The range of voices in the exhibition, from different generations, cultures, and artistic approaches, has created a moving and multifaceted conversation around women’s lives, trauma, strength, and care.  

Photos from the Opening Night by Bruce Myles.