Harriet Links Soft Focus

10th April – 3rd May

This exhibition is an exploration of memory, emotion, and identity through abstract painting. It draws on my personal history to reflect on the layered nuances of childhood and adolescence in Australia during the 1980s. Through a process of building, obscuring, and revealing, the work examines the “shadow self” — the unseen, unspoken parts of identity that influence who we become but are often hidden beneath the surface. The paintings investigate the ongoing process of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the reconciliation of past and present selves. Abstraction allows these ideas to be expressed in a way that is not literal, creating a visual language where memory can be fragmented, reassembled, and transformed. The works are built in layers of texture and colour, shifting between clarity and ambiguity, much like the nature of recollection itself. Subtle cues inspired by 1980s Australian domestic interiors, fashion, and design are woven into the compositions, providing a cultural and generational reference point while remaining open to interpretation.

Image: Harriet Links, Half Renovated Rentals,The Derwent River & a Barbie Horse