Local artist and resident Maya Melrose is passionate about photography and biodiversity and has masterfully blended both loves culminating in a stunning exhibition at Malvern Artists' Society, (from 11 to 13 July), in response to Stonnington's Lost Lands Found; an eco-art installation permanently located at Central Park, (Malvern East).
Inspired by Lost Lands Found, Maya has produced a beautiful body of work that reflects on sustainability and community for her first solo gallery exhibition.
Lost Lands Found is a unique creation by Wemba Wemba Wergaia ecologist and educator Dean Stewart. It was installed in 2022, in among the manicured green spaces of one of Stonnington's most popular parks and carries with it a message of reconnection with the local landscape.
Maya completed her Bachelor of Arts (Photography) at RMIT University. Having recently graduated, she also won the university's Kallman Feitel Endowment Award, (awarded to a student who demonstrates the greatest potential for success), for her work on Lost Lands Found. Last year, she contacted Council to express her interest in the site for her final project and worked directly with Dean to capture photos of the installation and its plants, and with support from Council's Climate and Sustainability team.
The collaboration has resulted in a colourful, lively array of works for the exhibition.
"Lost Lands Found is a project close to my heart, a way to bring attention to the devastating loss of Victoria's flowering grasslands, while also celebrating the quiet beauty of Australian flora and encouraging ecological awareness within my local community," said Maya.
For Maya, the aim of her exhibition is to raise awareness by bringing locals together into one space to learn more and reflect on the past, present and future of Caring for Country and our native ecosystems.
"I'm passionate about getting Lost Lands Found seen in both local and regional spaces to continue sparking conversations about the significance of Indigenous flowering grasslands and native ecology," said Maya.
A four-by-four metre living installation, it features more than 60 densely-planted species that provide a home for native insects to thrive and is filled with Indigenous flowers, grasses, herbs and lilies that once flourished throughout Victoria before European settlement. Less than one per cent of this vibrant habitat remains today. Visitors are encouraged to get to know local Stonnington flora and identify native plants that can be easily added to home gardens of any size to provide habitat and support local biodiversity.
As Dean explains: "Lost Lands Found intends to revive some of the lost connections between people and place, community and earth, in a real and intimate way to reconcile ourselves with the land. It is a rich tapestry of vibrant local life, a living canvas…. a place of colours, of textures, of hues, of scent, and of sense."
Maya is a great advocate for Lost Lands Found, which aligns with Council's mission to encourage understanding and care for local Indigenous species, and with Council, is continuing to explore opportunities to incorporate her expertise into nature-connection community programming through photography workshops in the future.
You're invited to celebrate, learn and explore the creative works of Maya Melrose.
Maya Melrose – Lost Lands Found (Solo Exhibition)
11 to 13 July
11 July – 10am to 4pm (opening night: 11 July, 6pm–8pm, all welcome)
12 July – 10am to 5pm
13 July – 10am to 2pm
Opening night: 11 July, 6pm–8pm, (all welcome)
Malvern Artists' Society
1297–1299 High Street
Malvern
