Across many forms of art, the mirror and the mask appear as recurrent visual themes - evocative symbols that speak to ideas of identity, perception, and the self. Drawing on works from our current exhibition ‘Collectors Edition: Timeless Prints’, this curation explores how printmakers draw on these enduring motifs, imbuing them with a palpable sense of intrigue - each work offering a narrative waiting to be uncovered.

John Ryrie 'Camouflage'

Most poignantly, the mask obscures the true self - allowing for a different character or persona to emerge. Whether villain or hero, few masked figures are as embedded in the Australian imagination as Ned Kelly. Whilst many artists have referenced the notorious bushranger, Adam Cullen takes this fascination a step further, bringing together a portrait of Kelly with images of both his iconic tin mask and death mask in a striking triptych.

Adam Cullen 'Republican'

Where the mask conceals, the mirror reveals. Traditionally understood as a reflection of self - both inner and outer - the mirror motif in art prompts us to imagine how we see ourselves, and how we are perceived by others. In works by Odin Strbac Low and Jenny Kitchener, the mirror is held up to both artist and audience, allowing us to see a glimpse of the reflected self, whilst also becoming self-aware of what might be looking back.

The mask, too, can be understood as a representation of the self we choose to project. Although a barrier between the individual and the outside world, it is also one that is deliberately constructed - shaped by who we want to be, and who others want to see.

George Baldessin ‘Performer’

Often adding a layer of narrative intrigue, the mask and mirror offer artists a powerful visual icon through which to consider the self we know, the self we reveal, and the selves we leave unseen.

'Collectors Edition: Timeless Prints' continues until September 24, 2026.

Nicole Henry 'The Pale Horizon'