Michelle Hamer’s I am Part of a Living City is a survey exhibition of her past work, currently displayed at the Wagga Art Gallery.

“It’s exciting as an artist because you get to to reflect and see the themes that emerge throughout your practice,” she said. 

“The interesting thing is, I still have the same interests.

“I would still want to make those same works today which validates my own line of enquiry.” 

Ms Hamer, while not from Wagga, said the town had always occupied a space in the ‘mythology’ of her mind.

“While I was studying, my teachers from Garner Davis Architects won the commission to design the Wagga Civic Centre and gallery,” she said.

“It was very exciting at the time and I feel privileged to be able to display my work here.

"The team from the gallery are incredible.” 

I am Part of a Living City includes works exploring highly localised Australian street language through to markers of some of the most conflicted border zones in the world. 

In an era of divisive politics Hamer’s work holds onto more subtle readings and mis-readings as it negotiates socio- political landscapes.

The works consistently explore the fears, aspirations of everyday life through the lens of the artist’s own personal challenges as the slow gridded nature of her practice contrasts with the easily overlooked moments captured.

Her hand-stitched and drawn works occupy a space between 2D and 3D, and have variously been described as ‘needlepoint paintings’, ‘stitched photographs’, ‘handmade pixellations’, and ‘tapestry photos’.

Ms Hamer said art is something people connect with individually, but she hopes they see the message she was trying to convey. 

“I hope that maybe people get to recognise how prevalent language is around them and maybe notice it their own lives,” she said. 

“I encourage people to find art that they feel good in front of.

It's a privilege if it’s mine, but everyone connects with something differently.” 

The exhibition will be on display in the Margaret Carnegie Gallery at Wagga Art Gallery until August 26.

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