Dandenong Ranges artist and educator Rain White is inviting the community to connect with nature, memory, and healing through her solo exhibition Bushwalk, currently showing at Burrinja Gallery in Upwey until 31 August.
Presented by Burrinja, Bushwalk is a deeply personal exhibition that grew out of life’s quieter, harder moments.
For Ms White, walking through the bush became a way to process change, loss, and healing, and those walks found their way into her art.
Each painting is layered with colour, pattern, and symbols, echoing footsteps on a forest path – it’s not just about what the landscape looks like, but how it feels – how memory, movement, and emotion live in the places we pass through.
“Walking has been part of my life since childhood,” Ms White said.
“The works honour a period of loss, care, and change in my life. Walking and art-making help me process emotions and navigate transitions. Each painting is like a diary entry, symbolically expressing emotional states.”
Having spent a lifetime in the hills, Ms White’s connection to the forest runs deep.
Her paintings embrace spontaneity and risk and allowing each piece to evolve naturally – much like a winding bush track.
Repeated shapes and forms drawn from the local environment are simplified into symbols: paths represent growth, rivers suggest life’s flow and change, forests embody strength, and stones symbolise home.
“The rhythmic flow of footsteps inspires repeated patterns found in the bush,” she said.
“The layers let colour peek through, creating depth and complexity. Influences include folk art and storytelling, viewers can enjoy the work visually while knowing it holds deeper meaning.”
Bushwalk is open to the public free of charge during regular gallery hours, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
Visitors are also invited to meet Ms White in person on Sunday mornings throughout August in the gallery.
For those looking to engage further, a special Winter Sunset Session will be held on Friday 22 August from 6–9pm.
The evening will feature exhibitions by Ms White, Emily Lowe, and the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, along with live music, storytelling, and wine – tickets are required for this event.
As part of the evening, Ms White will lead a collaborative painting session from 7–8pm, she’s inviting attendees to contribute marks, symbols, and patterns to a large shared artwork.
“I hope participants feel proud of creating something together that reflects our collective life paths,” Ms White said.
“Painting together can be joyful, therapeutic, and connecting.”
Ms White’s background as a multidisciplinary artist and educator informs her reflective approach.
Her work often explores metaphoric landscapes, drawing from anthropology, folk art, and symbolic visual language.
Bushwalk includes evocative titles such as “happy trails”, “after the storm”, “winter bushwalk”, and “into the woods” (The only way out is through), each inviting reflection on personal journeys through change, challenge, and renewal.
The exhibition is being held at Burrinja Cultural Centre (351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey).
Entry to the gallery is always free.
To RSVP for events or book tickets for the Sunset Session, visit burrinja.org.au.
