Exhibition is ‘essentially a love letter to Nambour’

The Sunshine Coat Project visited Nambour Swim Club on Monday for an aqua-shoot.

Ketakii Jewson-Brown from Maleny and Mapleton’s Shaye Hardisty have collaborated for the Sunshine Coat project. 

A new exhibition by Ketakii Jewson-Brown and Shaye Hardisty opens April 4 at the Old Ambo Gallery, Nambour. The exhibition features a collection of coats alongside a photographic essay that will be on display until April 29th.

In the exhibition “The Sunshine Coat Project” Ketakii Jewson-Brown and Shaye Hardisty dive deep into the layers of place, memory, belonging, fashion, and Nambour. It is essentially a love letter to Nambour through fashion, photography and video as told through the lens of this interdisciplinary artistic duo. 

The two artists have collaborated with 11 other creatives to  reflect the uniqueness of the town. The gallery will be abundant with layers of memory, history, belonging and place all woven together into a seamless display of creativity and community at its finest.

Ketakii Jewson-Brown is a Maleny fine art photographer. She said connecting with the collaborating artists and hearing stories from townsfolk had been a heart-warming gift. Through the 18 months they have been working out of 2nd Space, a Sunshine Coast Council funded creative hub, both Ketakii and Shaye have been supported above and beyond by the Nambour creative community.

Shaye Hardisty is a seamstress and musician from Mapleton. She has taught workshops and played music across the coast, including Woodford Folk Festival’s Bushtime and the Festival of Small Halls. She believes in sustainability in fashion and educating people of what this means on the ground. She has incorporated her sustainability and slow fashion ethos into the project through strict rules – only sewing with either recycled or organic materials, using scraps in clever ways and following up with suppliers to find out where things are not only manufactured, but grown. 

Most of the fabric used in this project has been digitally printed on Eco Drill, an organic and recycled cotton by Next State Print, a family-owned business based in Thornbury, Victoria.

The Sunshine Coat Project opening night is April 4. A sustainable fashion speaking event is on April 28 featuring key slow fashion advocates. A closing party with local bands, drinks and a food truck takes place April 29. 

More information www.instagram.com/thesunshinecoatproject.