Artist statement: Lost lands found is a long-form documentary project that explores the presence – and absence – of Indigenous flowering grasslands in the Kulin Nation. The work stems from my first encounter with Wemba Wemba Wergaia educator and ecologist Dean Stewart’s installation, ‘Lost lands found’. Located at Central Park in Malvern East, this installation consisted of a fenced space bursting with Australian native flora. It stood in stark contrast to the manicured lawns around it – a quiet yet powerful statement of what this land once was before invasion.

For my work, an aerial image of the installation unfolds into a large-scale wallpaper print, immersing viewers in the perspective of the land from above. This viewpoint emphasises the tension between Indigenous ecological knowledge and imposed colonial landscapes, asking us to reconsider what we value, preserve, and cultivate. Scattered across this backdrop are pages from my newspaper publication, layered organically to invite interaction. Viewers can lift, touch, and read these pages – engaging directly with the research, reflections, and visual narratives embedded within them.

This work is an invitation to reconnect with place, history and the ecosystems that continue to persist despite their erasure. By embracing Indigenous plants and ecological knowledge, we open pathways for restoration, both environmental and cultural. I acknowledge and pay my respects to the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong people, the Traditional Custodians of the land where I live, learn, and work. I recognise my positionality as a Settler-Australian of English, Irish, and Scottish heritage, working on the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation.