Billy Bain
Wirambi (Fruit bat), 2026
oil on linen in recycled timber frame with ceramic tiles
148 x 188.5 x 4.5 cm
Wirambi (Fruit Bat) centres on a rock formation visited by Bain during his journey along the Hawkesbury River. The cave bears Aboriginal ochre handprints, connecting the site to generations of...
Wirambi (Fruit Bat) centres on a rock formation visited by Bain during his journey along the Hawkesbury River. The cave bears Aboriginal ochre handprints, connecting the site to generations of people who have lived with and cared for Country.
Bain subtly reconfigures the landscape, opening the composition to reveal a broader view of the river. Fruit bats, imagined within the scene, introduce a sense of movement and life, while the cave offers a quieter reminder of human presence across deep time. The painting brings together observation and imagination, presenting Country not as a fixed historical landscape, but as a living place where cultural memory and the natural world remain inseparable.
Bain subtly reconfigures the landscape, opening the composition to reveal a broader view of the river. Fruit bats, imagined within the scene, introduce a sense of movement and life, while the cave offers a quieter reminder of human presence across deep time. The painting brings together observation and imagination, presenting Country not as a fixed historical landscape, but as a living place where cultural memory and the natural world remain inseparable.
4
of
4