EMMA LABATTAGLIA IS A VISUAL ARTIST BASED ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA, AUSTRALIA, WHOSE PRACTICE IS ROOTED IN MATERIALITY, MEMORY AND THE QUIET LANGUAGE OF REPAIR. WORKING WITH OIL PAINT, CHARCOAL, RAW LINEN, SILK, COLLAGE AND HAND-STITCHED WIRE, LABATTAGLIA CREATES LAYERED, TACTILE SURFACES THAT HOLD TRACES OF PROCESS, REMOVAL AND RECONSTRUCTION.

HER WORK EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VULNERABILITY AND STRENGTH, OFTEN ALLOWING IMPERFECTIONS, FRACTURES AND EXPOSED EDGES TO REMAIN VISIBLE. THROUGH SCRAPING, TEARING, STAINING AND STITCHING, EACH PIECE BECOMES A RECORD OF WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP, WORN AWAY AND CAREFULLY HELD TOGETHER. AS LABATTAGLIA SAYS, “REPAIR DOESN’T ERASE PAIN; IT LIVES ALONGSIDE IT.” THIS SENTIMENT SITS AT THE HEART OF HER USE OF HAND-STITCHED WIRE, REFLECTING IDEAS OF HEALING, THE BODY AND THE VISIBLE NATURE OF REPAIR.

INFLUENCED BY PERSONAL MEMORY, DUTCH HERITAGE AND THE LANDSCAPES IN WHICH SHE LIVES AND WORKS, LABATTAGLIA’S PAINTINGS OCCUPY A SPACE BETWEEN ABSTRACTION AND EMOTIONAL RECOLLECTION. RATHER THAN PRESENTING FIXED NARRATIVES, HER WORKS INVITE A SLOWER READING — ONE SHAPED BY ATMOSPHERE, TEXTURE AND THE QUIET PRESENCE OF WHAT HAS BEEN FELT RATHER THAN CLEARLY REMEMBERED.

CURRENTLY DEVELOPING NEW WORK BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE, LABATTAGLIA CONTINUES TO EXPLORE THEMES OF DISTANCE, SEPARATION, RETURN AND CONNECTION. HER PRACTICE REFLECTS A SENSITIVITY TO PLACE AND MATERIAL, CREATING WORKS THAT FEEL BOTH INTIMATE AND EXPANSIVE.

STUDIO: MORNINGTON PENINSULA, AUSTRALIA