Dates: Saturday, 5 April – Sunday, 18 May
Times: 10:00am – 3:00pm, daily
Entry: FREE
Venue: CCC Gallery
Public program: Sunday, 11 May, 1-3pm
Please join us for the exhibition celebration event including words by the artist and refreshments. All welcome to this free event.
RSVP: via email CCC@cardinia.vic.gov.au
It’s important to acknowledge the devastating impacts of natural disasters on our communities and landscapes, but to also shine a light on the strength, renewal, beauty and hope of the people around us, and the lands we call home. These portraits painted on salvaged slabs from fallen trees stand tall like the giants of our forests and giants of our community.” Emma Jennings.
Stories of Giants is a residency and exhibition by Olinda-based artist Emma Jennings’ that delves into the discoveries Jennings made through her creative recovery work. This presentation is an adaptation of Stories of Giants, originally developed by Jennings and presented at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum with the support of Yarra Ranges Council and Emergency Recovery Victoria in 2024.
Jennings developed Stories of Giants as a creative recovery project in the weeks and months after the June 2021 Storm event in the Dandenong Ranges which saw the loss of 25,000 trees in a single night. Community was deeply impacted through the loss of property, utilities and the environmental damage. Jennings was compelled to support her community through this project.
Creative recovery is a proven process for disaster-affected communities to express their experiences, understanding and place-making. Projects such as Stories of Giants leave lasting impacts on mental health and wellbeing, providing significant impact on an individual’s enduring confidence and sense of self-worth, and help to redefine the identity of an impacted community.
Community-led creative recovery leans on existing local strengths, networks and resources. It by nature is inclusive, participatory and collaborative. It provides mentorship and education opportunities and leaves lasting and tangible cultural outputs, as can be seen in the works in this exhibition.
The resulting exhibition brought together community members’ creative responses with Emma Jennings’ painted portraits to pay homage to the fallen forest. Using timber salvaged from the fallen trees allowed meaningful re-connection with the forest. In the CCC Gallery today you will see the outcomes of this project alongside a selection of Jennings’ original works themed around the natural environment and the overlapping disasters that have impacted Eastern Victorian communities.
Visitors are invited to engage with her creative process through the display of her working studio within the gallery. Jennings will be delivering a series of community engagements and workshops throughout the residency.
Residency Information:
Dates: Every Wednesday, 9 April – 14 May
Times: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Take one step further into the enchanting world of Stories of Giants. Engage with Jennings as she shares firsthand experience about the process that has not only contributed to healing within the community but also brought forth a profound artistic expression. You can learn about her techniques, inspirations, and the stories behind her works.
Attendees can enter as active participants in this evolving narrative. You are invited to contribute to a collaborative art project that will grow and transform as the exhibition goes on.
Guided tours lead by Bronwyn Ward are also available upon request on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Artist biography:
Emma Jennings is a visual artist who lives and works on Wurundjeri Country in the Dandenong Ranges. Her impressions often use renewable materials and observational methods, such as handmade Japanese paper, locally sourced natural pigments, and salvaged timber, to highlight the climate emergency unfolding on her doorstep and its impact on residents.
Jennings works full-time in her studio at Emma Jennings Gallery in Olinda, where she openly shares her materials and processes with diverse audiences and holds creative workshops throughout the year.
Her works are held in local, interstate, and international collections.
To learn more about Emma Jennings, visit her website here.
Artwork credits: Emma Jennings, New view of the valley from Mathias Track, Olinda, Watercolour on handmade Japanese paper, 2022 (detail)
Artwork credits: Emma Jennings, Home, Portrait of Ben Owen, Unit Controller, Emerald SES, Oil and acrylic on salvaged blackwood, 2024 (detail)