To Fly Would Be A Wonderful Thing
My intuitive, mixed media practice explores memory, relationships, motherhood and social and political issues. The work is rooted in storytelling, it communicates my internal dialogues, and draws on shared human experiences and emotional connection through colour, mark and texture. With a background in textile design and a first class honours degree in Contemporary Applied Arts, there is a strong sensitivity to surface and pattern, my layered abstract works often incorporate found materials and stitch, creating tactile compositions that balance intuition with material depth. Ambiguous forms and shapes invite conversations rather than simply providing answers, they seek to evoke an emotional response, a feeling, entirely dependent on personal perspective.
With one child on the cusp of primary school, and another embarking on high school, this work, To Fly Would Be A Wonderful Thing, examines social milestones and expectations; our transition within the confines of this imposed human structure, and the effect it has on our developing sense of self and personal identity while we are finding our wings and gaining the freedom to fly. Brush strokes were applied quickly and instinctively, creating shift and movement within the surface of the paint, the form, reminiscent of a bird in flight, contrasts with the more geometric collaged patches, symbolising our rigid social parameters. Artistic influences include Tony Tuckson, Roy Oxlade and Aida Tomescu.
Artist Bio
Eira Chidgey is a mixed media abstract artist currently based in Newcastle NSW. She holds a first class honours degree in Contemporary Applied Arts from Trinity St David University, and a diploma in Foundation Arts from City of Bath College. Her work has been exhibited widely and is held in private collections across Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom. A successful candidate in the highly competitive 2026 Mentorship Program at Newcastle Art Space, she is currently working alongside Patricia Wilson Adams for an upcoming group exhibition at Newcastle University. Other achievements include The Gosford Art Prize, The Regional Art Prize, The Leda Art Prize, The Newcastle Club Foundation Art Prize, The Hunter Emerging Art Prize, The Mini Series Art Prize, and Inside This Box Art Prize. Notable group shows include Collect at The Lock Up, Summer Salon at Straitjacket, Alumni at Leda Gallery, Silver And Cold at Wester Gallery, Philocalist at Wonderground Barossa, and SIX at North Gallery. Recent solo exhibitions include Amongst Gods And Demons at North Gallery, Shedding Old Skin at Cornerstore Gallery, Becoming Visible at Wester Gallery, and A Place For All The Small Things at Leda Gallery.
