Entertainment
7 November, 2025
Artistic garden of tropics
TWO OF Cairns’ most imaginative visual artists are set to transform Tank 4 Gallery at the Tanks Arts Centre with their new immersive exhibition 'Our Garden of Tropical Delights'.
The exhibition officially opens at 6pm on Friday 7 November and will run until Sunday 7 December.
The exhibition draws on the natural abundance and distinctive character of the Tanks Arts precinct.
Featuring richly textured ceramic forms and expressive multi-scaled paintings, the artists describe it as “an absolute riot of tropical energy where tree trunks and tangled foliage collide with fluorescent colour and pop motifs in joyous visual harmony”.
“This exhibition reflects the magic and chaos of this former storehouse of diesel and its botanical surrounds,” said Gabrielle Cooney, whose ceramics are created under her label Flintstone Designs.
“My works are handcrafted, instinctive and very much grounded in the earthiness of clay. They celebrate imperfection, nature’s humour and the life force of this place. For me, working with clay is about letting each ‘work’ grow organically, much like the plants and creatures that inspire them.”
Cairns-based urban pop artist Jamie Cole will showcase his acrylic, aerosol and mixed media work.
He said collaborating with Gabrielle’s ceramics had been “a real gift”, likening it to “a conversation between mediums”.
Mr Cole said their work captured the unpredictable and abundant nature of Far North Queensland.
