Dates: Wednesday, 23 September – Sunday, 18 October 2026
Times: 10am – 3pm, Daily
Entry: FREE
Venue: Hills Hub Arts Space, Emerald 

Opening Event: Sunday, 4 October, 3pm-4pm

About the exhibition:
Beneath the Surface presents a body of work that navigates the complex terrain of memory, trauma, and emotional resonance. These paintings are not simply abstractions; they are layered records of a life shaped by displacement, war, and the long echo of experiences that resist resolution. 

The artist’s early years as a refugee in post‑war Germany, followed by conscription into the Australian Army and deployment to Vietnam, form a quiet but persistent presence within the work. Rather than depicting these histories directly, the paintings translate them into texture, gesture, and colour. Buried lines, over‑painted surfaces, and hidden marks create a sense of depth — a visual archaeology of the mind. 

Colour becomes a psychological register. Some canvases pulse with bright, urgent hues; others retreat into muted, contemplative tones. This oscillation mirrors the way memory behaves: vivid one moment, elusive the next. 

What emerges is a deeply felt visual language — one that invites viewers to slow down, to sense the emotional undercurrents, and to experience for themselves the subtle tensions and quiet revelations held within each layer. The works do not offer answers; instead, they open a space for reflection, empathy, and connection. 

Artist’s Biography:
Ted is a Melbourne‑based abstract artist working with layered texture, gestural mark‑making, and vivid or subdued colour. Training  at Caulfield Institute of Technology he was conscripted into national service and served in Vietnam.  After a hiatus of 50 years, he  returned to painting with renewed focus. A finalist in the Burrinja Acquisitive Art Prize, he now presents his forthcoming exhibition Beneath the Surface.  

Artwork credit: Ted Krzywokulski, Construct