Finding the Lost

23 November - 4 December 2021

POP Gallery - QCA Galleries, Fortitude Valley QLD

In Finding the lost, Niomi Sands, an artist based in Northern Rivers, NSW, explores the often overlooked collections of lost property in this exhibition. Over the past six years, Sands has been trawling through lost property collections, uncovering somewhat quirky gems that represent our everyday lives.

Sands meticulously recreates these collections in thread and paper. The hand-sewn line becomes a ghostly outline and the cross-stitched motif transforms into an abstract study of the lost objects. The use of thread and the technique of sewing are ever-present aspects of our everyday lives, literally holding together the fabric that we clothe ourselves in. Sewing is present in our home and work; it can be recreational or domestic; and it is it is traditionally a feminine pursuit.

This exhibition is the final instalment of Sands’s doctoral research project, which included a selection of works previously exhibited in three solo exhibitions: Where the lost things go (2019), Grey Street Gallery QCA A few things (2017), Byron School of Art Project Space, Mullumbimby; and lost and found (2016) Depot II Gallery, @ Dank Street, Sydney, alongside a number of new works. Found objects are a reference point for Sands’s work and imply associations related to memory and experience. The ephemeral qualities of the materials used in the work re-contextualise everyday objects, evoking reflection. These objects are often repeated and scaled up or down, which creates focus on often overlooked domestic objects.