ARTIST STATEMENT

"For years I’ve had a corner in my studio that contained a collection of coral, bones, sticks and other specimens from nature.  These had been given to me by friends and colleagues. Too precious to throw away but no longer serving a functional purpose other than as a decorative object or subject of curiosity.

After reading Juice by Tim Winton in early 2025 and not long after watching Oceans by David Attenborough, I couldn’t shake the imagery of coral wastelands, relics of the ocean as we know it today. I found myself drawn to the corner of of my studio, wanting to celebrate, revive, uplift and give reverence to these relics that had found their way to me, but that didn’t really belong with me.  Unable to return them to their place of origin, I sought to acknowledge their animacy through a new body of work.

My walks on the beach around Port Fairy on Gunditjmara land no longer had me looking outward at the horizon, but down at my feet, noticing the debris of the ocean and the surrounding farmlands, wondering if one day this might be all we have left. This work aims to bring these fossil-like forms inside, acting as a still life but floating through space, ghostly but undeniably present, a reminder not to forget what is at stake." 

BIO

Lara Karasavvidis is a Melbourne based artist who has a family home in Port Fairy where she spends time each year. It is this landscape that she returns to frequently in her practice as inspiration and as an antidote to life in the city. 
 

Her studies in printmaking are reflected in her work through an interest in mark making using techniques including, drawing, relief printing, etching and painting. The tactility of the mark is intended to be akin to the tactility of the landscape, communicating a felt or experiential quality. 

She has worked as a secondary school art teacher for 17 years and has a passion for seeing young people find their voice through art. Since 2020 she has participated in a number of group shows and held two solo shows at Boom Gallery. Her work is held in private collections in Australia, USA and UK.