Cassidy, Congratulations on your first Solo Sydney exhibition, how do you feel? 

It feels so cathartic to have the show be out in the world! and to be received with such support. I've had such a quiet, intimate relationship with each of these pieces for so long, and to see people interact and connect with them is really fulfilling. Feeling super grateful. 

Tell us a little more about the artworks in the ' VORTEX' collection. What does this collection mean to you? 

I began studying Transpersonal Art Therapy about a year ago, and wanted to integrate some of the healing modalities I'd been learning into my art practice. The genesis of VORTEX was a very emotional process. It was me exploring my inner-landscape, and experimenting with art as a tool for expressing my feelings. My studio has often been a refuge for my emotions, and a safe container for me to be messy, and chaotic, and VORTEX is really me embracing the good, the bad and the ugly. It's a tangled journey from darkness to lightness, not by hiding the shadows but by embracing them. I visualise VORTEX as so many things... spiraling through a blackhole, or stepping into a utopian psychedelic realm that I get to create... and meet other-worldly creatures. The word 'vortex' means "a mass of whirling energy", which is exactly what the process was. It's in many ways a healing journey; accepting the bad in the world and embracing its beauty... and it was a restorative process for me, I felt like a child again, playing with bold, bright colours and not having a gaze of perfectionism or any need to make sense of anything. 

Has this body of work inspired you to create new works? and if so, what are you working on at the moment? 

Absolutely! I've been back in the studio working on a new drop of artwork. I have always been drawn to figurative work, I have mused with the feminine form for years, and I just love the elegance of women's bodies! and felt reinspired by neo-expressionism, and the use of words in my art. So, I'll release some more conceptual work soon, and am looking forward to seeing how I integrate the energetic, and abstracted elements of VORTEX into future artwork.