Black Lace

Black Lace portrays the striking elegance of the Australian Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), a species found nowhere else in such abundance and deeply woven into the nation’s natural identity. Once a symbol of rarity and impossibility in the Old World, the Black Swan is, in Australia, a familiar yet enduringly mysterious presence on our waterways.In this work, the bird’s intricately layered plumage becomes a tapestry of shadow and light, recalling the delicacy of fine lace while embodying the strength and poise of a native icon. The deep blacks, iridescent sheens, and flashes of warm crimson are rendered in soft pastel to capture both the tactile richness of the feathers and the quiet power of the swan’s gaze.Black Lace is a celebration of Australia’s unique wildlife—its beauty, resilience, and the subtle complexities that reveal themselves to those who look closely.