Madison JEFFARES

Caulfield Grammar School, Caulfield Campus
VCE Studio Arts 3 & 4

Artist statement: In ‘Soteria’s garden’ I wanted to explore the idea of sanctuary as an escape from danger and a place of peace. My concept embraces the interplay between the picturesque and semi-sublime landscape to create a vast, idyllic paradise which is both appreciated as a natural beauty and embraced as a shelter from the pressures of Year 12 and a pandemic. The scene acknowledges both the expansive environment and the cultivated haven within a terrarium designed to provide shelter for plants to thrive, acting as a metaphor for personal growth when provided adequate security. I have drawn inspiration from sources including Gothic architecture and Greek mythology, combining ideas of religious haven, personal belief, and female protection as contributing components of sanctuary.

Winner of the inaugural Rosie Hughes Memorial Prize, sponsored by The Waverley Camera Club in memory of their late member Rosie Hughes.