Sunshine coast based Amber Petersen is one of our studio mates as well as our feature artist for February. Make sure to pop in to see her super fun, colourful show.

Like many artists finding themselves at home more than ever right now, this pandemic has provided me with the unexpected opportunity to concentrate more on my art than ever before. As Covid and heavy world events continued on into weeks and months and almost a year now, I found myself wanting to use more and more colour in my paintings, opting for bright and bold themes and really leaning into the fun.

I have been creating eclectic and pop culture paintings for a decade, and I’m drawn to nostalgic icons and a touch of the ridiculous. My paintings are both homage and playful ridicule of pop culture, and with that, rhinestones started to find their way into some of my pieces to elevate the kitsch. One of my larger paintings in this series is of the iconic Dolly Parton, who is the perfect example of infectious kitsch personified. In Tennessee Homesick Blues she sings, “it’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” The marriage of bright flash with true soul, Dolly is in on her own joke, and truly stands out because of it. Similarly, this series of paintings is full of excess and sentimentality, and strives to bring a smile to the viewer’s face. With so much going on in the world, embracing levity can be a breath of fresh air.