Welcome to the
Alchemy
online exhibition
Exhibited at
Linton & Kay Subiaco
15-31 March 2025
Based on close-up photographs of everyday objects, re-imagined through digital collages and hand-embellished with acrylic and 21 karat gold, this exhibition explores three layers of alchemy: transforming the ordinary into art; perceived flaws into treasures; and challenges into metaphorical gold.
Sparked by the discovery of beauty in unexpected urban settings during a time of personal adversity, this body of work evolves the exploration begun in ‘Infinite Beauty.’ By viewing things in a different way, ‘Alchemy’ showcases our limitless ability to shift perspectives, find hope in adversity, and view our lives through a renewed lens.
Each piece is an invitation to redefine labels, revealing the power of perspective to transform our experiences and illuminate the exquisite beauty and the potential in ordinary moments; in ourselves.
You are an alchemist;
make gold of that.
– Shakespeare
Essentially, this is the story of finding the perfectly imperfect authentic self, hidden beneath the stories of the mind. Much like the art hidden in the ordinary; patiently waiting to be revealed.
To be yourself in a
world that is constantly
trying to make you
something else is the
greatest accomplishment.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapters
‘Alchemy’ is divided into six chapters; however each flows into the other and all pieces are inextricably intertwined, much like the chapters of our own beautiful, perfectly imperfect lives.
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Chapter 1 features two pieces from my first solo exhibition, ‘Infinite Beauty’. These close-up photographs of ordinary objects like lampposts and letterboxes form the foundation of my art practice. Through these images, I explore the external environment and the inner psyche, highlighting the intrinsic link between the two. All pieces in ‘Alchemy’ are created from such photographs, continuing this journey of external and internal exploration.
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Test prints from ‘Infinite Beauty’ were cut up and hand collaged into a self portrait, transforming imperfections into treasures; ultimately revealing the essence of love and authenticity that lives unwaveringly at the core of each of us, beneath the noise of the mind.
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This chapter captures a deeply personal journey through twelve hand-embellished self portraits, in a story of shedding fear, unmasking personas, and returning to the heart.
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This series of four explores the boundless nature of perception through the metaphor of an eye in each quarter, each unique in its colours and textures. Each piece serves as a reminder of the transformative power of changing our perspective and the endless possibilities that come from viewing life through different lenses.
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These twelve abstracts transform resistance into acceptance, discomfort into lessons, and challenges into wisdom. They symbolise the alchemy of turning struggle into meaning by discovering insights within difficulty.
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These four expansive abstracts, each spanning nearly two metres, explore the infinite potential within our ever-evolving selves. Through the lens of ordinary urban objects such as lampposts, rubbish bins, and letterboxes, these digital collages reveal the beauty in the everyday; and in our perfectly imperfect selves.
Chapter 1: ‘Infinite Beauty’
Chapter 1 comprises two pieces from my first solo exhibition, ‘Infinite Beauty’, also with Linton & Kay. These close-up photographs of ordinary objects like lampposts and letterboxes form the foundation of my art practice. Through these images, I explore the external environment and the inner psyche, highlighting the intrinsic link between the two. All pieces in ‘Alchemy’ are created from such photographs, continuing this journey of external and internal exploration.
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Framed Limited Edition Photograph on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper
(Edition of 10)
64.7 × 84.6cm (exc frame)
$1,250
Subject: Rubbish bin
Location: East Fremantle, Western AustraliaAbout the art: Splattered paint, reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting, expressive and uplifting in its symphony of colours as it declares that even rubbish can be beautiful – if only we are able to open our minds to seeing it.
It’s amazing how lovely
common things become,
if one only knows
how to look at them.
– Louisa May Alcott
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Framed Limited Edition Photograph on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper
(Edition of 10)
64.7 × 64.7cm (exc frame)
$1,250
Subject: Letterbox
Location: East Fremantle, Western AustraliaAbout the art: Layers of expressive texture and rich comforting blues create art in their exquisite imperfections, sitting underneath the ornate gold letters that read ‘Mail’ on an ordinary letterbox, providing a momentary feeling of peace.
One’s destination is
never a place, but a
new way of seeing things.
– Henry Miller
Chapter 2:
The original ‘Alchemy’
Test prints from ‘Infinite Beauty’ were transformed into a hand collaged self portrait. Scratched-up skip bins and ordinary objects became art, perceived realities shattered and labels fell away, altering forever what was. Pieces once seen as rubbish and worthless were alchemised: imperfections became treasures; vulnerabilities, strengths.
To see, we must forget
the name of the thing
we are looking at.
– Claude Monet
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Framed Collage of Acrylic, Paper and Photographs
92 x 65cm (exc frame)
2025
$6,450
Created with a selection of ‘Infinite Beauty’ test strips (photographs of ordinary urban objects)
About the art: Scratched-up skip bins and ordinary objects become art; perceived realities shatter; and labels fall away, altering forever what was.
Pieces that were believed to be rubbish, worthless and not enough, are alchemised: flaws are re-seen as unique treasures; vulnerabilities as strength; broken as perfectly imperfect; pain as something calling to be seen; as the light of authenticity, of love, of the essence that lives unwaveringly at the core of all life, shines through once again – in a way never before experienced, having traversed a darkness beyond vocabulary.
Chapter 3: Story through portraiture
This chapter captures a deeply personal journey through twelve* self portraits. These works narrate the experience of living a life disconnected from my heart and true self, navigating the illusions of the mind, and the mistaken belief that my thoughts defined me. Each piece is created from photographs of ordinary urban objects, transformed into digital collages that mirrored my emotional landscape at the time.
*Eight of the twelve are exhibited. Download brochure for full body of work.
Owning our story and
loving ourselves through
that process is the bravest
thing that we’ll ever do.
– Brené Brown
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with Acrylic
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
88 x 66cm (exc frame)
2025
$3,850
SOLD
About the art: The journey from assumed brokenness to acceptance of myself with all of my contradictions allowed me to remember long forgotten universal truths: that we are always worthy and enough, exactly as we are; that we have the ability to alchemise difficult experiences into metaphorical gold; and that we ourselves are the very fabric and structure of existence itself, in its infinite state of imperfect beauty and eternal evolution. All of which free me from self-imposed prisons, created without awareness a long, long time ago.
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Famed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
30 x 30cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,150
Chapter 4: Perception
This series of four* explores the boundless nature of perception through the metaphor of an eye in each quarter, each unique in its colours and textures. Each piece highlights the infinite number of lenses we can choose to view the world with, demonstrating how our experiences can be profoundly altered by the perspective we adopt. By showcasing varied eyes, it invites viewers to embrace the diversity of thought and perception, recognising that each viewpoint offers a unique and valuable understanding. This series serves as a reminder of the transformative power of changing our perspective and the endless possibilities that come from viewing life through different lenses.
*Two of the four are exhibited. Download brochure for full body of work.
You may encounter many defeats,
but you must not be defeated.
In fact, it may be necessary to
encounter the defeats, so you can
know who you are, what you
can rise from, how you can
still come out of it.
– Maya Angelou
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
40 x 40cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,650
Change the way you
look at things and
the things you look
at change.
– Wayne Dyer
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with 21 Karat Gold Leaf
40 x 40cm (exc frame)
2025
$1,650
We don’t see things
as they are, we see
them as we are.
– Anaïs Nin
Chapter 5: Abstract interpretations
This series of twelve* captures the infinite potential of transforming what we’d rather avoid into something meaningful – turning resistance into acceptance, discomfort into lessons, and challenges into new perspectives. They are essentially about the alchemy of turning struggle into wisdom.
*Three of the twelve are exhibited. Download brochure for full body of work.
Alchemy is the art that
separates what is useful
from what is not by
transforming it into its
ultimate matter and essence.
– Paracelsus
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with Acrylic and 21 Karat Gold Leaf
60 x 50cm (exc frame)
2025
$2,350
Turn your wounds
into wisdom.
– Oprah Winfrey
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with Acrylic and 21 Karat Gold Leaf
60 x 50cm (exc frame)
2025
$2,350
SOLD
Every adversity, every
failure, every heartache
carries with it the seed of
an equal or greater benefit.
– Napoleon Hill
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with Acrylic and 21 Karat Gold Leaf
60 x 50cm (exc frame)
2025
$2,350
SOLD
The greatest glory in
living lies not in never
falling, but in rising
every time we fall.
– Nelson Mandela
Chapter 6: Extra large abstracts
These four* expansive abstracts, each spanning nearly two metres, explore the infinite potential within our ever-evolving selves. Through the lens of ordinary urban objects such as lampposts, rubbish bins, and letterboxes, these digital collages reveal the beauty in the everyday; and in our perfectly imperfect selves.
This series symbolises how we can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and underscores the endless opportunities that emerge as we recognise and embrace every new iteration of ourselves. The hand-embellished panels of real gold leaf further emphasise the alchemy, adding a touch of literal and metaphorical transformation to each piece.
* One of the four is exhibited. Download brochure for full body of work.
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Framed Digital Collage on Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art Paper with Acrylic and 21 Karat Gold Leaf
100 x 182cm (exc frame)
2025
$8,950
Thank you for
taking the time
to view my art
May you find as much beauty in your life as you possibly can … especially in yourself. There is no one quite like you, there never was, and there never will be. I believe this is worth celebrating, and I hope you find the courage to express that gloriously unique self, with a heart full of love and a pocket full of dreams.
Helen x
“The privilege of a lifetime is to
become who you truly are.”
– Carl Jung
