Sena Park’s practice explores the evolving relationship between human-designed environments and natural ecosystems, two poles held in particular tension within domestic gardens. Encompassing installation, expanded forms of painting, sculpture, photography and moving image, I touch the surface, we draw wild beauty reflects upon human endeavours to define or transform the wildness of nature in these private spaces.

The works in this exhibition take inspiration from the artist’s observations of her surroundings and everyday realities across differing locations, including Tāmaki Makaurau and Paihia in Aotearoa, as well as her travels to Mongolia and Japan. Unstretched canvases are hung from steel frames, crafting a series of framed views within the gallery space. Synthetic fabrics and sculptural objects are juxtaposed with tree branches and other plant matter, and presented alongside two photographs of the various gardens encountered by the artist.

The exhibition also includes Park’s first work in moving image, in which a clip of a lawn being mowed—that suburban ritual—is repeated to the point of absurdity, rendering futile its attempt at control. With both humour and attention to materials, Park highlights our relationship with and impact upon te taiao, while also celebrating its adaptability and resilience.