During NAIDOC Week (6 - 13 July '25), Adelaide Festival Centre's Moving Image Program is exhibiting 'Mother's Tears' by Kat Bell.
This animated moving image artwork explores the cyclical resilience and transformation of Mother Nature, deeply intertwined with themes of sacrifice, regeneration, and the consequences of human intervention. The work depicts nature as both nurturing and fierce - offering life-giving water, weathering destruction, and continuously rising from devastation. The imagery of fire, water, and rebirth seeks to evoke a powerful visual narrative, employing shifting landscapes, evolving textures, and rhythmic transitions between destruction and renewal. The interplay of light and shadow is reflected in the animation through contrast - soft, ethereal sequences transitioning into stormy, tumultuous moments.
"I am a Gudjal and Girramay visual artist based Erawirung Country, working across painting, textiles, sculpture, and digital art, including moving image art and Augmented Reality (AR). My practice explores how new media and digital art forms can amplify First Nations voices, narrative, and storytelling. In 2024, my introduction to AR marked a pivotal shift in my practice, expanding the possibilities for immersive, interactive storytelling. Through my artistic and curatorial practice, along with my PhD research, I aim to contribute positively to advancing First Nations voices, stories, narratives, and artistic endeavours, advocating for genuine representation and positive engagement with First Nations artists, arts, cultures, and stories.
My artistic style is vibrant, bold, and deeply personal, drawing from my First Nations and German/Irish heritage, as well as my experiences living in South America. Folklore, mythology, and dreaming weave through my work, reflecting the interconnectedness of all living things - people, animals, land, the waters, forests, and skies. I believe this relationship is integral to our existence and central to my storytelling. Respecting and honouring ancestral knowledge, I seek innovative ways to ensure First Nations stories remain alive, evolving, and accessible through digital and new media technologies." Kat Bell, 2025
Mother’s Tears is presented with support from Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation.