NickyD Artistry

2026

‘Local Inspiration 2026 – Melbourne & Beyond’

Ladder Art Space

Tuesday – Saturday: 11.30pm – 5pm

81 Denmark Street, Kew, Victoria, Australia

17 January – 5 February 2026

After the wonderful response to last year’s exhibition, Local Inspiration – Melbourne & Beyond returns to Ladder Art Space in 2026 with an expanded celebration of the people, places, and stories that make Melbourne unique. This group exhibition features artists exploring what “local” means, how the city’s rhythm, landscapes, and everyday moments shape their creativity and personal connection to place.

Melbourne is a city of contrasts. The vibrant energy of its laneways and cultural hubs sits alongside the quiet intimacy of its parks, beaches, and suburban streets. Local Inspiration 2026 captures this diversity through works that reflect both the iconic and the intimate, scenes of daily life, treasured landmarks, and hidden corners that evoke memory, belonging, and identity.

Featuring artists working across all mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, digital art, and mixed media, the exhibition continues Ladder Art Space’s commitment to showcasing authentic, locally inspired creativity. It offers audiences the chance to see Melbourne anew, a city continually reinvented through the vision and imagination of its artists.

My piece, ‘Remembering Afternoon Delights Along Darebin Creek’ reflects my personal connection to Darebin Creek, a place where Melbourne’s urban life softens into quiet moments of observation and belonging. Through stitched textures and layered fabric, I explore the creek as both a physical landscape and a site of memory, where everyday walks become acts of noticing and care. The inclusion of small, hand-made figures invites a human presence that echoes how local places are experienced intimately, often across generations. In celebrating this familiar yet ever-changing environment, the work speaks to how “local” is formed through repeated encounters, shared stories, and time spent paying attention.

For further information please use the attached link to the Ladder Art Space Website.

To purchase my work please click here:

To view the catalogue, please click here:

2025

Article in Issue 18 – The Digital Cloth E Magazine

Caroline Sharkey is the creator of the eMagazine. She kindly asked me for an article on my work, inspiration, and processes. It is noted to be a textile artists haven and lifestyle eMagazine.

The Digital Cloth is a digital publication that features various artists in the textile and quilting communities. It includes interviews, tutorials, and showcases of artistic creations, providing a platform for artists to share their work. 

The Digital Cloth can be found by clicking the link above. If you are after a copy of my specific article please contact me directly.

‘Dream and Health’ – Curated by Sophie Dieu

G2 Gallery, Kingston Art Centre

Wednesday – Saturday: 11pm – 4pm

979-985 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia

6 November 2025 –10 January 2026

“Dream and Stitch – Dream Map” is a collaborative project curated by Sophie Dieu and Gaelle Chassery. This work is being presented as part of a bigger exhibition of Sophie’s work entitled Dream and Health, Women’s Knowledge of Plants. A celebration of plants significant in migrant and refugee women’s tradition that support their health and enhance their dreams.

They are mapping dreams worldwide, using embroidery, applique, stitching. It might be a recent dream or a dream received in childhood. Perhaps it was so powerful that it still lingers to this day. As active dreamers, this work invited artists around the world to share their embroidery work. The map is now 90cm high and 2.70m long and is made up of each artists work of a 30 x 30cm piece. The international embroidery touring exhibition work will be travelling around the Australia, USA, and UK in 2024-2025. First Exhibition at “Dream and Health”, Kingston Arts Centre. 

I created ‘Yearning for the sea’. I have the same reoccurring dream when I feel overloaded. My soul obviously knows what it needs to soothe itself.  At these times I dream of standing in an old chapel facing the light of the rising sun, reminding me of the potential of the dawning day. I breath in the revitalising smell of the sea air, as the wind blows my hair and blouse freely. I feel the grass in my hand reminding me to stay grounded. This is my sanctuary, nature and the beach. I can breathe again.

You can find more details on the Kingston Arts website here: Dream and Health: Women’s Knowledge of Plants – by Sofie Dieu

‘Social Fabric‘ Naarm Textile Collective

FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery Opening Hours

Tuesday – Friday: 12pm – 7pm, Saturdays: 12pm – 4pm

45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

30 September – 25 October

Following the success of Naarm Textile Collective’s past exhibitions, the Collective is building on the increasing interest in contemporary textile art with our 2025 Naarm Textile Biennale with the theme Social Fabric which will be exhibiting at FortyFiveDownstairs for four weeks.

The Naarm Textile Biennale will showcase progressive textile art exploring the relationship of textiles to other art disciplines and exploring the limitlessness of textile art.  Social Fabric will be a collaborative group exhibition consisting of textile artists from Victoria. Social Fabric will look at the value of textiles in our lives and the role of textiles in telling stories and presenting contemporary cultural and political issues. The exhibition will highlight and explore the ability of textiles to preserve memories of people, places and times. 

Social Fabric will highlight textile artists and the quality of their work raising awareness of contemporary textile arts. With textiles traditionally being held in low esteem and considered as ‘just women’s work’, this exhibition will be an important opportunity to challenge its standing alongside other fine art. Social Fabric will showcase the variety of textile techniques, wide range of materials and interpretations that challenge traditional ideas of textile art. 

Flinders Lane was the centre of the fashion and textile trade in Melbourne for many years. Forty-Five Flinders Lane was part of this history as home to many textile businesses over the years. Social Fabric returns textiles to a place built to showcase them. 

The exhibition is curated by Tamara Russell

I have an installation called ‘Social threads: keeping those affected by invisible illnesses connected’ and a Diptypch, ‘Social threads, giving me purpose and inspiring me’

Watch a video of a walk through the exhibition

Download the Catalogue here

See the participating artist here

Listen to our RRR interview here

‘People’s Choice Award’ Announced 4 July

‘2025 Banyule Art Salon‘, Heidelberg School of Art

Art Gallery 275 @ Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub

275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe.

‘Fifty Squared Art Prize 2025′

Brunswick Street Gallery

L1 and L2, 2/322 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

21 June – 4 July 2025

Each year the Fifty Squared Art Prize showcases artists at all stages of their career, from emerging to established, practicing throughout Australia and beyond, culminating in an exhibition featuring hundreds of wall-based artworks encompassing painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, weaving and more!

I am exhibiting three pieces of work. Namely, Sunrise on the Mornington Peninsula and Pulpit Rock, Cape Schanck, (credit to Mark Gray Photography for his inspirational photos) and Tawny Family (credit to Joseph’s Wildlife Photography for his inspirational photos) These three pieces of work are all hand made using textiles, embroidery and in the case of the Tawny family tissue paper to re-create the feel of the tea tree they are perched on.

Attracting hundreds of artists and thousands of gallery visitors to its showcase exhibition, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

‘2025 Banyule Art Salon‘, Heidelberg School of Art

Art Gallery 275 @ Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub

275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe.

3 May – 29 June

An exhibition of art by Banyule’s creative community, celebrating our local heritage.

This year, the community was invited to create artworks that responded to, or are inspired by the Heidelberg School of Art.

The Heidelberg School of Art was the first significant colonial art movement in Australia, so named because a group of artists set up an outdoor painting camp in the area, capturing the raw beauty of the landscape here, alongside impressions of early settler life.

The community’s response to these artworks will surprise, delight and maybe even inspire you to create your own masterpiece.

‘Threads – tangles / detangles’, Naarm Textile Collective

Glen Eira City Gallery

Cnr Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia

14 March – 6 April 2025

Naarm Textile Collective is an artist led organisation aiming to incorporate and challenge the boundaries of textile arts practice.     

Thread – Tangles / detangles will bring together work by artists from the Naarm Textile Collective who are exploring the possibilities of thread in their work. Each artist is invited to use their unique perspective and textile discipline to follow a different thread, wherever it may lead them. 

Thread – Tangles / detangles will explore tangible and intangible connections, processes and techniques. Transformed through knitting, weaving, looping and stitching, threads carry significant personal and cultural narratives.  The exhibition aims to encourage viewers to rethink their relationship to thread, be aware of its materiality, its possibilities and limitations.

The exhibition was curated by Tamara Russell

View a walk through of Thread – tangles / detangles here

See the participating artist here

View the exhibition catalogue here

2024

‘Open Air’ – Group Exhibition

Brunswick Street Gallery

L1 and 2, 2/322 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

7-24 March 2024

Open Air pays homage to artists that take their inspiration from the ever-changing elements within the Australian landscape. The natural environment has continued to intrigue artists, challenging them to capture its ephemeral state. Rolling waves and ochre sand dunes, diaphanous clouds and speckled sunlight through eucalyptus leaves–the unique experience of working outdoors challenges the artist to capture the distinct and elusive details of the natural world around them.

Full exhibition is available to view and purchase works online.
https://brunswickstreetgallery.com.au/blogs/exhibitions/open-air-group-exhibition

2023

‘Little Pieces Exhibition’

Fly Little Bird Art Gallery

58 Newlands Road, Coburg North, Victoria, Australia

16 November – 9 December 2023

Located in Coburg North, Melbourne, Fly Little Bird embodies the spirit of grassroots creativity and aims to create opportunities for artists at any stage of their career to exhibit and build communities with fellow artist and art lovers alike.

I exhibited 2 pieces of work. Both made from threads and inks. The Superb Fairy Wren was not for sale. Kings Canyon sold in the first few days of exhibition. It was a wonderful venue and some of Melbourne’s amazing artists showcased their work here.

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‘Uncommon Threads’, Naarm Textile Collective

FortyFiveDownstairs Gallery

45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

17-28 October 2023

It was a real honour to be part of this exhibition and get to meet some awe inspiring artists. The community that this exhibition created will be enduring. This was part of the Craft Contemporary Festival and is supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants Program.

It was a fantastic display of Victorian textile artists work. I had two embroidered detailed pieces on display. They are showing either end of Phillip Island in Victoria and the reference material was photos I had taken a few years ago.

‘Archie’s Embrace’

The Centre, Ivanhoe Town Hall

275 Upper Heidelberg Rd, Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia

21 October 2023

Archie’s Embrace Yearly Gala Event raises important funding for Rare Genetic Disorders, such as ECHS1D. Inspired by Archie Melling a special night has been created to have fun whilst leaning about how it’s possible to contribute to invaluable research that is benefitting families both current and future, National and worldwide.
I donated a piece especially for the night to be auctioned off and was delighted that it’s new owner is excited to display it in her home. Not only did she get an individual one off piece of artwork but more importantly helped raise essential funding for Rare Genetic Disorders.

‘Stitch by Stitch’

The Willow Gallery

56 Wllow St, Oswestry, UK

1st July to 19th August, 2023

I am delighted to announce that the above work has been included as one of the selected pieces for the Online Gallery of the Stitch by Stitch Exhibition being held at the Willow Gallery in Oswestry, UK. This is a fantastic initiative and I encourage everyone to either visit their site in person or online and see the amazing works that have been created.

Many thanks to Suzette Smart and Alison Holt for creating and curating this exhibition.

https://www.alisonholt.co.uk/stitchbystitch/gallery_online.php

https://willowgalleryoswestry.org/

‘Severe ME Artists Project 2023’

Severe ME Day

August 8th 2023

So pleased to be part of this important online event and gallery.

Although suffering remitting and relapsing ME for several decades now, over the last 3 years, I have been housebound. This is my hand embroidered picture of a very special location. I chose it for the site as I love the water and the peace and potent that the start and end of day brings. Credit to Lisa Walker for her inspiring photo.

The only reason I’m sharing this is to raise awareness of this condition. Not to go on about my specific story. Many people do not understand this complicated chronic condition known as ME and the impact it has on the quality of life for patients, their family, friends, career, life aspirations etc, etc.

MEAction announced their Severe ME Artist Project 2023— Gallery! The Severe ME Artist Project 2023 features work from those within the severe ME community and is in recognition of Severe ME Day on August 8th.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a complex chronic disease that presents with symptoms in multiple body systems. ME is a neurological disease according to the World Health Organization.

https://www.meaction.net/2023/07/31/severe-me-artist-project-2023-gallery/

‘Fifty Squared Art Prize’, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

Brunswick Street Gallery

L1 and 2, 2/322 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

24 June to 7th July 2023

I created a specific piece for this exhibition entitled ‘Universal Elements Create Life’. Essentially we are all created from star dust and the elements. I chose to represent life by the images of the bonded pair of Rainbow Lorikeets as their colouring matches the elements, earth, air, fire and water perfectly. As this art was created here in Australia I felt it important to show Australian birds and the Southern Cross in the Milky Way.

https://brunswickstreetgallery.com.au/pages/fifty-squared-art-prize-2023

https://brunswickstreetgallery.com.au/

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