Rosie Handley - The Paper Cut

Sitting in front of a computer for most of my days, digital collage crept into my illustration practice. Examples of this are found in this exhibition, with more on Instagram and shared with an incredible global community called ‘The Paris Collage Collective’. During COVID, having more time to myself, I enjoyed the digital, but returned to hand done art. It was a relief and a joy. Produced over the last three years, these works were initially created for my own enjoyment. But the more I did, the more I liked it, and that circle meant I began to take collage as an artform more seriously. Here is the result.

These works were made by sourcing papers, magazines, and stock images, and combining them into compositions with additional drawing and painting. Themes I return to repeatedly are the natural environment versus the city, our Australian coastal environment and ideas around what home and being female means. Some works took a long time, and felt like hard work, but some just happened, sparked from passing conversations and stories, that seemed to have a life of their own.

A paper cut is when a piece of paper slices your skin. These are the works that made the cut for me, that got under my skin.

- Rosie Handley

Rosie Handley is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer. A love of collage, drawing, printmaking and digital illustration have fuelled her artistic practice for decades. Imaginary and enchanting worlds are pieced together and often feature the tension between the urban and natural environments.

Rosie studied at the UNSW College of Fine Arts, has participated in various group art shows, won multiple graphic design awards and illustrated a children's picture book called 'The Best Cat, the Est Cat'. This is her first solo exhibition.

Join us for Opening Night of

D/O.84 Rosie Handley - The Paper Cut

Thursday May 2nd from 5-7pm at Disorder Gallery

Rosie’s work will be on display from

May 2nd through May 18th at Disorder Gallery