Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze, 2023

In 2023 Townsville University Hospital launched their new South Block wing, which included my commissioned work comprising of 7 light boxes in the Entry Corridor and wall vinyl wrap to the Staff Station. These works were inspired by the immediate natural environment of the Townsville region, with imagery focussing on the minute areas of native flora and the coastal landscape that surround the hospital. The inclusion of these works aimed to create immersive space that demonstrates the importance of art and nature in union with the healthcare sector.

During my travels to Townsville, I found myself captivated by the natural landscape where the tropical plant life was in balance with the dry and rocky environment of this Far North Queensland city. There was a heat that permeated this landscape, the vibrant colours subdued by a haze that lingered in the distance when looking out to Castle Hill and Magnetic Island. Tamika reconnects with the diverse ecologies she observed while exploring this city through the creation of her Complex Ecologies: Summer Haze series. Drawing on her existing printmaking practice, this series investigates local flora including the Beauty Leaf Tree, Kangaroo Apple, Acacia Ramiflora, Frangipani and Tuckeroo Tree, where the organic patterns and forms of these species become intertwined with the repetitive mark-making techniques of relief-print carving.

Commissioned by: Townsville Hospital & Health Service

Fabricators: Fabsigns & Designs

Photography: Maddie Bleakley. Courtesy of the artist, Onespace and Queensland Health.