Janet Laurence – Alchemical Gardening

Alchemical Gardening, Laurence’s latest body of work, encapsulates her method of transforming natural elements into art that speaks to both the physical and the metaphysical. The term "alchemy" evokes the ancient practice of transforming materials, symbolise a quest for deeper connection with nature and enlightenment.

Drawing on knowledge of botanical and ecological systems, Laurence transforms familiar natural forms – plants, minerals, and organic materials – into breathtaking new artworks and sculptural installations, that are both informative and evocative, illuminating the delicate balance of our ecosystem.

Laurence’s artworks are imbued with a sense of poetry, where the visual language of plants and natural forms becomes a medium for expressing deeper environmental and philosophical themes, recognising the interconnectedness of all living things. Presenting an immersive installation which serves as a catalyst for personal and collective contemplation.

A key element of Laurence’s artworks is the use of transparency and layering. By incorporating glass, resin, and other translucent materials, she creates ethereal environments that allow light and shadow to play across the surfaces, evoking a sense of impermanence and fluidity of time and space. 

Janet Laurence has exhibited in major museums nationally and internationally and has been a recipient of Rockefeller, Churchill and Australia Council fellowships. She has been a recipient of the Alumni Award for Arts, UNSW, is currently a visiting fellow at the NSW University Art and visiting fellow of the 2016/2017 Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) fellowship, and artist in residence at the Australian Museum. She was the Australian representative for the COP21/FIAC, Artists 4 Paris Climate 2015 exhibition and in 2019 she had a major solo survey exhibition at the MCA and in 2020 at the Yu Hsiu Museum of Art in Taiwan. She was the 2021 Recipient of the Antarctic Fellowship and was represented in the Biocenosis 21 exhibition with IUCN Congress for Biodiversity Marseilles France.

Laurence’s artworks are included in significant national and international museums, university, corporate and private collections as well as within architectural and landscaped public places.