Ripairian: Imprinting the Living Landscape
by Annette Peterson.
Dispatch Review
December, 2025
As ecological instabilities multiply, artists are finding new ways to address environmental changes and crises. Ripairian, a hybrid performance led by academic and social change advocate Dr Vahri McKenzie and curated by Gemma Ben-Ary, is a multi-sensory exploration of the significance of the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) in Western Australia. Presented at Midland Junction Arts Centre and broadcast live from the river site via eight video channels, Ripairian positions the river as both subject and collaborator, merging performance, ritual, and documentation to prompt reflection on human relationships with natural systems.
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"The work refuses a single narrative or stable perspective, instead evoking the fluidity and uncertainty inherent in ecological systems."

16 October - 13 December
Launch of the Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery and 25 year anniversary of the Joondalup Invitation Art Prize
Featuring Tom Blake, Sam Bloor, Bruno Booth, Erin Coates, Sarah Elson, Tim Meakins, Sherry Quiambo, Andy Quilty, Anna Louise Richardson, Tyrown Waigana. Curated by Tim Carter.

'You're late, Gem.' whispered my old boss as I sidled past, hoping to go unnoticed, speeches well underway.

It was good to roll back into Joondy last night. Past Emperor Gum Moth, through some kind of festive night-market in the town center, and for once I totally bypassed the shopping mall.   

Unheard of.   

I could say that Joondalup is also late to the party, having finally built a gallery after 25 years of presenting this gem of an art prize in the mall. I do feel that this addition to Perth's contemporary gallery scene is much needed and is long overdue, not only for Joondalup residents but for the wider arts scene. Having a proper cultural venue for this important annual event is a game-changer, and the launch neatly coincides with the 25 year anniversary of the Invitation Art prize. Seeing this year's selection presented in a well lit, comfortable and reasonably sized gallery space helps position it as the serious prize that it has always aspired to be, and allows each artwork to speak and shine, as they should, because there are some stars here.

Sam Bloor took top prize with his site-specific installation, Chance Encounter, a playful work that will sit comfortably in the Joondalup Collection, alongside notable installation pieces such as Kate McMillan's Internal Histories from 2012.

Stand outs for me are Anna Louise Richardson's series of charcoal drawings of introduced plants, you know I'm a sucker for a botanical study. Anna says these plants - oleander, prickly pear, bougainvillea, lantana and lavender - are markers of ideologies and evocative of loss - "beneath the weight of continual occupation". The series is tight and accurate, despite being of considerable scale, they maintain a sense of intimacy. The are reminiscent of Gillian Treichel's series from 1990, also housed in the Joondalup Collection, although that series features native species.

Sherry Quiambo's work is in striking contrast, still with botanicals and fruits, but with juicy, saturated colour and seductive, glossy surfaces. Reflective gold textures and a surreal video work encased in a slowly revolving cabinet emphasize consumer culture and make me think about the endless grind of exploitative capitalist greed, the work also draws parallels with the sexual symbiology of flowers, fruit and luxury items.

Erin Coates. I am in awe of her skill, in craft and in concept. Bronze bones contrast with soft flesh and fur, evoking trauma, body horror and animal-human entanglements. I saw some of these pieces being prepared for the exhibition in Erin's studio recently and enjoyed hearing her speak about the residency in Albany that led to creating this body of work. She has explored a collection of rare deep sea specimens in the Museum of the Great South and simultaneously recalls incidents recalled from childhood where bones where fractured and broken. Now cast in bronze, these bones have become unbreakable. For me, the power of this work is in the visceral reaction it provokes, forcing the viewer to occupy an uncomfortable realm between revulsion and attraction, and also the way that it encompasses land and sea, human and non-human, otherworldly and corporeal.

The occasion is marked by a publication by Mess Books, Looking Across The Lake, edited by Emma Pegrum, Matthew McAlpine and Tim Carter, and featuring essays by Gemma Weston, Robert Cook, Matthew McAlpine and a poetry by Cass Lynch.

ABOVE: Livestream of the performance in the MJAC auditorium, showing Georgie Ivers on the left, and Michael Terre on the right, responding to the performance in real time.

Amidst the chaos of this month, these two exhibitions have been installing alongside mine and are running until November 9 as part of Wedge 2025. The exhibition is part of Wedge: the Australian Ceramics Triennale, and presents 11 WA and international  artists who investigate function and form, offering contemporary techniques alongside traditional craft methods.

Vessels
7 September - 9 November, 2025
At Midland Junction Arts Centre

Vessels, curated by Jess Knight, featuring Sakshi Agarwai, Tanija & Graham Carr, Carmela Corvaia, Madoda Fani, Fiona Gavino & Solomon Hunter, Victoria Martinez Zurbano, Claire Ng, Philip Noakes, and Martien Van Zuilen.

Through showcasing these artists as contemporary masters of these ancient traditions, Vessels highlights the timeless relevance of their crafts, and their ability to preserve culture and memories through their continued practice.

Where Do We Truly Belong
Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli and Kasia Kolokow
7 September - 9 November, 2025
At Midland Junction Arts Centre
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This exhibition explores the intricate nuances surrounding home and belonging through the weaving and unfolding of personal narratives, which are imbued into and onto objects that serve as visual and emotional markers of one’s presence—both in ancestral homelands and in the new terrains where one chooses to sink roots.

Ben-Dzulkefli and Kolikow address states of belonging as a sense of connection, acceptance, and the multi-layered experiences within spaces and communities. Sense of home and belonging are ever-evolving, shaped by experiences, relationships, and the ever-changing landscapes of our lives. They aim to capture the essence of this journey and what it means to truly belong.

It's great seeing both textile and ceramic forms presented alongside one another in these two complimentary exhibitions, showing a stunning range of techniques and scale, and they are a wonderful frame through which visitors will approach Ripairian, which is inside a tiny room, and has the feeling of being tucked under the stairs.

IMAGE ABOVE: Sakshi Agarwal, 2022 - 2023, high-fired stoneware ceramics and high-fired paper clay ceramics.

IMAGE ABOVE: Youth crew during a rehearsal under the railway bridge, warming up with Michelle Hall.

RIPAIRIAN
Vahri McKenzie & Gemma Ben-Ary
7 Sept - 9 Nov 2025
At Midland Junction Arts Centre

Ripairian the project celebrates Mandoon Bilya (Helena River), through riverwork, performance, and community connection, responding to the ecological and social complexities of the site, and guided by three cues; rubbish, weeds and graffiti.

This installation work - The Ripairian Zone - is just one strand of the overall project, and includes an original sound-element created by composer / musician, Michael Terren.

The project space at MJAC has been transformed into an immersive museum of artefacts reflecting the three cues; rubbish, weeds and graffiti. Weeds are represented in the Arum Lily wallpaper, handmade from Xuan paper and printed using the lino-block technique and hand-made marri-gum ink. Trash Tails hang in festoons, revealing the social uses of the site through the detritus left behind - aerosol cans, bottles, dog's balls, bike parts, and iron clasps and pegs from the train lines. Graffiti is reflected through eco-inks on woolen garments, when messages are scrawled like tags onto yoga mats, and bodies are pressed into the inks. 

Photos by Josh Wells.

Listen to an excerpt of Michael's composition here:

Today we got together at Woodies to practice paste-ups and ran through some theatrical techniques ahead of the final performance - this is the crew about to embark on a mindful walk.

ABOVE: An unknown graffiti artist, partly covered with our blank paste-ups. For the actual performance, we will be using printed wallpaper with the weed prints, this was just a test run. We covered the whole wall in about 15 mins, and carefully removed the paper afterwards to as to leave no trace. The paper was pasted up using a simple flour and water mixture, approx 4L for a wall this size.

Sue Hauri has introduced me to this group who meet every Thursday at the Midland Women's Health clinic for art and craft workshops. Together we have been looking at common garden plants and invasive weeds, and making botanical sketches that have been turned into repeat prints, which have then been carved on lino and printed to create a repeat design.

Feel free to follow this lesson plan if you'd like to do something similar in your community.

Getting Creative in the Riparian Zone: Weedy Wallpaper designs

LESSON PLAN
Week 1: Thursday, 31 July
Introduction to “Ripairian” (sic) the project

The riparian zone refers to the low-lying wetlands around rivers. In many riparian areas, wildlife and plants are threatened by loss of habitat, less water, invasive species and housing developments. Seeking to repair some of the damage, in a symbolic way, this project looks at some of the ways we can accept the damage and learn to work with it in a way that is collaborative and exploratory.

Artists were the original scientists, learning about the natural world through observation. In the past, artists took part in exploration and scientific studies, helping build taxonomies and ways of understand the world.

By simply walking and observing, we can begin to understand and accept the world as it is, and try to repair and gently navigate our way through the Anthropocene.

Observing is also a great technique for mindfulness – tuning your senses to the subtleties of the world around you.
When you walk, use the artist’s technique of observing. Find ways to engage with things that you can sense through sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste - be careful with the last one! Many things that might look tasty are toxic.

Sketching from life – botanical specimens

1. Pen, pencil and watercolour techniques
2. Observational drawing techniques
3. Using your botanical sketches, prepare a repeat design that can be used to make wallpaper
4. Gemma to demonstrate the repeat pattern concept
5. Weeds – some common invasive species found in gardens

Health & Safety considerations: use caution when gathering plants, some are toxic, have thorns, etc. Watch where you walk and stick to the paths.

Ethical considerations: think about the land that you are interacting with when you gather specimens. Whose land is it? What was the traditional use of the land? Which animals, birds or insects might be affected if you move a branch or a stone? Tread carefully. Be careful with seeds or flowers, they may cause invasive specimens to spread.

Materials required: pens, pencils, watercolours, paper, camera (phone), botanical specimens

Homework: finish your drawing and start to develop a repeat pattern design so that next fortnight we can transfer it onto the lino block.
 
Week 2: Thursday, 14 August
More about the Ripairian project
Gemma will talk more about the project and ways you might like to collaborate or contribute.

Transferring your design:

1. Transferring the design onto lino, ready for cutting
2. Cutting lino – some tips
3. Gemma to do a demonstration

Safety considerations – always cut away from the body!
Materials required: black sharpie (permanent marker) lino block, lino cutting tools, carbon paper.
Homework: take the lino block home and start carving!
 
Week 3: Thursday, 28 August
More thoughts and reflections about the Ripairian project. This discussion will be picking up on threads discussed in previous weeks.

Making a lino block

1. Making an impression using your lino block
2. Gemma to do a demonstration
3. Repeat on a roll of paper until you have a large patterned sheet.

Materials required: rollers, glass plates,  ink, paper, spatula or palette knife.



Download a PDF of this lesson plan below

Download a PDF list of common invasive plants found in Boorloo | Perth
 

Today was probably the most extreme weather to be doing this task but we put on our wellies and a brave face and did it anyway.

​The task was to assemble the youth crew and introduce them to the site, and start practicing the paste-up technique, getting the wallpaper onto the wall, and finding out how we can work best with a team, whether this will work best in groups or pairs, and decide on the best camera angles to capture the performance. 

The tech crew got started on working out the live links, using my trusty little car as base camp. We usually try not to bring cars onto the site, but today we needed a warm and dry place to shelter in between the blasts of hailstones.

Eventually, our hands and feet went numb from standing in cold water, and so took our rosy cheeks up to the Woodbridge Hotel for some chips and bevvies. All in all, a really fun way to spend a blustery day!

ABOVE: A new batch of bark going into the pot for boiling. This time I deliberately selected bark that had a lot of resin in it, in the hopes that this might make a more viscous ink. The house is warm and foggy with all this distilling and the aroma is of a gentle eucalyptus forest, it is quite lovely.

ABOVE: a shallow pan with the three-day ink being further reduced. Here's hoping it will thicken up a bit today!
​Last night I filtered the ink through muslin and let it to settle overnight, and this morning have strained the liquid off the top and am reducing it further in the hopes of a very thick ink for lino cut prints.

Last night I filtered the ink through muslin to remove any residue and let it settle overnight, pouring off the liquid from the top this morning and reducing it further in a pan. I'm really hoping for a very thick and viscous ink that can be used for lino cuts, so although I'm loving the quality of the ink, it is too watery.

Another thing I'm trying this morning is a new batch of bark, this time with a much higher resin content. I'm hoping that the resinous bark might create a more viscous ink.

Today I tried out the ink, first without iron mordant and then again with iron mordant. What a stark contrast and a pleasant surprise! The iron mordant makes it very dark and strong, and without it, the ink is a pleasant reddish-brown colour. I love both, but am really trying to get a very viscous, sticky ink that can be used for lino-cuts, and this is far too liquid. I'll let it stand for a while and try and reduce it further to see if it will thicken.

Today we walked out to the end of Hardy Rd, Glen Forest, in search of Marri bark to make black ink. This spot was new to me, and as the crow flies, near to my house. There are some beautiful big boulders and creeks running through paddocks that are being rehabilitated with some small trees, and plenty of big gums that gave us a big sack of bark.

ABOVE: Guy and Vahri take a tea break.