Places That Surround Us
Places That Surround Us invites you on a journey through the eyes of four different artists as they capture the essence of Albury—the landscapes, architecture, and natural elements that shape its unique character.
This exhibition explores the artists’ interpretations of the spaces they treasure, emphasising themes of connection; to the land, the built environments, and the beauty of nature.
Each piece offers a personal reflection on Albury’s landscapes and landmarks, inviting viewers to deepen their own connections with the places that shape our community. Through diverse mediums and perspectives, the exhibition celebrates Albury as both a physical location and a source of inspiration and meaning.
Installation view of Hume Hues, by James Voller. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
Hume Hues
James Voller
Hume Hues, James Voller's series for the Laneway Lightbox Open-air Gallery, presents a site-specific photographic exploration of the Hume Highway’s distinctive landscapes and architectural forms. Through digitally layered photography, Voller fuses macro imagery with wider landscapes, creating a distorted yet cohesive sense of place. Each composition merges historical and contemporary views, abstractly representing Albury’s unique identity along the Hume.
The Artist:
James Voller creates illusions with photography, placing familiar images into everyday spaces to spark conversations around social and environmental issues. His practice is currently evolving towards creating temporary works that not only engage with public spaces but also provoke dialogue on topics such as climate change, urbanisation, and the lasting impacts of colonisation. Voller is particularly interested in how history, growth and architecture impact cities’ identities and the people who live in them. James is currently working across digital vinyl prints, Digiglass and projection technologies.
You can see more of James’s work @jamesvoller, @collidepublicart and facebook @vollerphotography
Installation view of Heritage Stories, by Deb Huff. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
Heritage Stories
Deb Huff
Albury’s Historic Landmarks in Lights showcases Deb Huff’s illustrative exploration of five iconic buildings from Albury’s Historic Building Walking Tour. Through her distinctive style, the exhibition highlights the charm and transformation of these heritage structures, including Kia Ora, a Federation-style residence once a Bank of NSW branch, and the Former Waterstreet Hotel, now repurposed but preserving its historic essence. Other featured landmarks include the Former Telegraph Office, now the Conservatorium, Albury Public School, and the Former Station Masters Residence. This collection captures the stories woven into Albury’s architectural history, offering a glimpse into the town's cultural heritage.
The Artist:
Deb Huff is a digital artist creating illustrative works inspired by the history and connections held within neighbourhoods; their buildings, and the stories they've gathered over time. Huff’s work seeks to uncover and celebrate the character of places that are the backdrop to our lives and the streets we walk everyday. Her digital and print-based works have been exhibited in Perth and Melbourne in large-scale formats and her work is held in several collections across Asia Pacific and internationally.
You can see more of Deb’s work @debhuff.illustration
Installation view of (Re)Discovering Albury, by Ariel De Ramos. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
(Re)Discovering Albury
Ariel De Ramos
These five paintings are an interpretation and expression of the artist's discovery of Albury. The monochromatic theme of each painting, spanning the entire colour spectrum, creates a coherent and unified composition when viewed together.
The landmarks depicted were selected through a combination of research, chance, and intentional variety. The surprisingly numerous historical buildings in Albury's centre or the lagoons in Wonga Wetlands could have easily been the subjects of five paintings or even an entire exhibition.
The artist hopes that these paintings, through its colourful and luminous style, will allow Albury locals to rediscover the landmarks depicted and view them with a slightly new perspective.
The Artist:
Ariel De Ramos is a Melbourne-based artist and environmentalist whose work explores the intricate relationship between humans and nature. Through his art, he unveils the beauty of the natural world, critiques the impact of industrialization, and inspires connection with the environment.
With a global perspective shaped by life in the Philippines, Spain, and the UK, De Ramos has a passion for fostering green spaces that has led him to study horticulture and sustainability, and he shares his knowledge through workshops and talks. He explores and paints both well-known and lesser-known historical and natural places, capturing their essence through his art.
You can see more of his paintings at his Instagram account @arielpaintingsgallery
Installation view of Artwork, by Aunty Trish Cerminara. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
Artwork
Aunty Trish Cerminara
I am a proud Gamilaroi woman, born in Griffith, NSW, with deep roots connecting me to the lands and people of Mungindi, Walgett, and beyond. My family’s journey spans Yenda, Jerilderie, Finley, and Albury, shaped by the railway repatriation project, and my connection to my ancestors, Wetherall, Evans, Bourke, Little, and McGowan families, grounds my identity. For over 57 years, I have called the Albury Wodonga area home, raising four children and nine grandchildren here. Our time by the beautiful Murray River, or as my nan called it, "the river of life," continues to nurture my belonging and inspire my creative spirit.
My art is an extension of my deep connection to Country, community, and storytelling. I work across many mediums such as painting, carving, weaving, sculpting, and more, using vibrant colours and materials that reflect the beauty of flora, fauna, and the teachings of my ancestors. Through community engagement and collaborative art projects, I aim to empower others by fostering unity, understanding, and transformation. To me, art is not just a creative expression but a tool for healing, connection, and joy.
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1. Mungabareena Aboriginal reserve “Aboriginal Place” keyboard_arrow_right
This art reflects my ancestor sitting on Country and reflecting on our journey from dream time to today.
The hand of sharing and welcoming people onto country and how we as people have grown and changed through the years in appearance but still strong in our culture. The importance of healing and the warmth of fire and how its brightness draws the bogong moth to its light.
This piece also represents a place of traditional times, a place of culture, spirituality, connection and celebration, and the traditional home of the Ngan Girra festival (Bogong moth festival).
The festival was a place of welcoming to all people to mingle and experience the unique diversity of Aboriginal and Torres strait islander culture.
This place was a traditional meeting area for families and many mobs to gather and share food, tools and skins, eel traps were placed in the river for food.
Aboriginal people gather here along the beautiful Murray or what my great grandmother used to call it “The river of life” for many ceremonial and dreaming events, this was also a meeting and camping place for mob on their travel to the mountains to gather bogong moth, and to talk women’s and men’s business.
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2. Noreuil Park” Bungambrawartha” keyboard_arrow_right
This place is a very special place for people to come and swim, share conversations, eat and enjoy the beautiful river with family and friends. A group of local people meet here during the warm months and we share our weaving practices with each other and the public.
This piece tells of how the Lomandra grass is woven in a circle shape to symbolise how we all sat when weaving. For my Yinarrs the practice of weaving is about more than utility. It threads back together the links to Country that were broken two centuries ago.
Buyu is healing, it provides a safe place for people to reflect about things in a cultural space.
Buyu has always been here it has just been sleeping, the Gawarrawarr have been waiting for us, it brings us back to country, when we Buyu and yarn we Buyu stories into baskets.
Women (Yinarr) Weave (Buyu) Places (Mandjar) grasses (Gawarrawarrs).
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3. Botanical gardens keyboard_arrow_right
This is a place of floral beauty. Flowers in Aboriginal culture are a vital link to the land, a means to honour ancestors and express emotions, and a symbol of the enduring heritage and spirituality of the Aboriginal people.
The colours used are symbolic to Aboriginal people the red and pink represents the earth, bloodlines, and ancestral connections. Yellow is associated with the sun, energy, and warmth, while black symbolizes water, the night, and the spirit world. White can signify bones, purity, and ceremonial markings. The colours used embody concepts such as the four Directions, four seasons, and sacred path of both the sun and human beings.
In addition to their beauty, flowers also hold significant symbolism like the gum blossom as it signifies the healing power of nature.
Aboriginal people also use flowers to pay respect to the land and to show gratitude for the resources it provides. For example, the use of Eucalyptus leaves and flowers in smoking ceremonies is a way of purifying the land and offering thanks to the spirits of the earth. These ceremonies help to maintain the balance between the people and the land, ensuring that the resources are used sustainably.
Flowers are not just symbols but are a way of preserving heritage and maintaining connection to the earth, flowers are also used in ceremonies and rituals to celebrate cultural events and maintain a balance between people and the land.
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4. Wonga Wetlands "Wonga" keyboard_arrow_right
This place is Wonga Wetlands, a local wetland, and home of our beautiful platypus. Platypuses live in a range of Wonga’s freshwater bodies. They are mostly found where the banks are suitable for building stable burrows and where the water is shallow enough for them to dive down and feed on bottom dwelling creatures, and they love the areas where there are trees, shrubs and grassy banks.
The platypus is very culturally significant to Aboriginal people. It is a totemic species that features in prominent Creation stories. These stories were shared by language groups and would change as they travelled along river systems. The platypus was also a vital food source for a number of language groups.
"The platypus symbolises creativity, uniqueness and self-acceptance. It inspires us to embrace our true selves and have confidence in our own judgement.”
Whilst all wildlife plays important roles within the environments, keystone species such as the platypus are fundamental to the functioning of freshwater ecosystems due to their role as a top predator in controlling the populations of macro-invertebrates.
Aboriginal people moved up and down the river, using bark canoes cut from the majestic red river gums. The river, billabongs and wetlands were a rich and valuable food source. There were fish, mussels, turtles, crayfish, snails and birds and other animals to eat, and mussel shells were used as knives, spoons and scrapers.
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5. Thinawan (Emu) dreaming keyboard_arrow_right
This place is our thinawan dreaming. Look and and you will see that Emus were more than just birds to Aboriginal people. Emus were creator spirits that soared through the skies above, looking over the land. These birds were incredibly helpful, the Emu in the Sky helped Aboriginal people predict what was happening in the world around us.
Dream time stories tell of how the emu flew and looked over the land. The position of the Emu in the night sky indicated to Aboriginal people when to hunt emus or collect their eggs. The emu's shape and angle changed throughout the year, and dark spaces appeared around its body as it moved.
Laneway Lightbox Open-Air Gallery is a public art initiative launched by AlburyCity, presenting lightbox installations along Amp Lane close to Albury’s cultural precinct. It is an ongoing program with rotation of artworks every four to six months. Each exhibition brings together creative and bold ideas. By stretching the limit of where and how art is consumed, it aims to open up meaningful conversations in a wider audience for social changes.
If you are interested in this project, please feel free to contact: culturalactivation@alburycity.nsw.gov.au
