Gina Kalabishis’ practice pays direct homage to the beauty of Australia’s native flora and fauna. Finding inspiration in both her regular walks through the unruly, thick bushland of our national parks, as well as from her everyday encounters with unassuming plants and animals within her local Merri Creek backyard in Melbourne, Kalabishis’ delicate paintings and drawings lovingly replicate the earthy, wondrous textures of nature. She invites us to walk the “desire paths” of instinct, memory, and environmental urgency. Her finely rendered bird portraits and haunting landscapes speak to the quiet resilience of nature and the fragile future it now faces. Centred around emblematic species such as the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, the Galah, and the Palm Cockatoo, this series captures not only the beauty of Australian birdlife, but the ecological challenges endured. Their flight—at once graceful and interrupted—becomes a metaphor for the choices we must make in shaping our shared future.
Artist Statement 2025: ‘Gaston Bachelard, the French scientist, poet, and philosopher, coined the term Les Chemins du Désir (Pathways of Desire). He described them as paths “created by usage,” where travellers take the most direct route from point A to point B. In these works, my desire paths express the impact of human-driven decision-making—our need to act swiftly to save our fragile, shifting ecosystems. This new body of work explores two parallel themes: the human desire lines within our personal lives and the global choices we make for our future. Unlike a fork in the road, where a decision must be made, these paths reflect choices already taken—one leading in a certain direction, another diverging elsewhere.
These paintings serve as a visual call to act swiftly. The vulnerability of our birds, the imminent arrival of H5N1 avian flu to our shores, and the destruction and erosion of their key habitats form a path we must navigate without hesitation.
Portrayed with unspoken signs of distress, these birds signal their need for assistance and protection from extinction. Their once-clear flight paths are now damaged, fading memories within the sombre, desaturated Australian landscape.’
At the heart of this exhibition is the black cockatoo—an emblem of the Australian forest and a sentinel of its health. From the totems of our First Nations people across the country from east to west, we see the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo of eastern Australia flying alongside the endangered Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo from Western Australia. These birds, with their haunting calls and sweeping silhouettes, are portrayed not just as subjects of beauty but as messengers. Their presence in Kalabishis’ work is layered with meaning: they are both witness and warning, their flight paths now disrupted by habitat loss, disease, and climate change.
Kalabishis draws on the philosophy of Gaston Bachelard, who described Les Chemins du Désir—paths created by instinct and necessity. In her paintings, these desire lines become metaphors for the choices we make, consciously or not, in shaping our environment. Her work explores the tension between personal longing and collective responsibility. The birds she depicts in her paintings are not solely ornamental; they exhibit signs of distress, displacement, and vulnerability. Their habitats—once vibrant forests, bushlands, and woodlands—are rendered in desaturated tones, echoing the fading memory of what once was.
As someone who has spent decades seeking out birds across Australia, I am deeply moved by the authenticity and urgency of Kalabishis’ vision. Her art is not only a celebration of nature’s beauty but also a call to action. The looming threat of H5N1 avian flu, the erosion of critical habitats, and the broader ecological shifts we face are all present in her work—not as overt statements, but as quiet, persistent truths.
For me, this exhibition is a visual reckoning. It asks us to consider the paths we have taken and the ones we must now forge. Through Kalabishis’ eyes, we are reminded that the bush is alive with stories, that the forest still breathes, and that the birds—especially the black-cockatoos—are still calling. The question is: are we listening?
Catalogue Essay by Tim Dolby
In this exhibition Gina Kalabishis invites us to walk the ‘desire paths’ of both the landscape and the soul—those instinctive routes we carve through the world and through our lives. Her work is a meditation on nature’s quiet resilience and its urgent fragility, rendered through the delicate, reverent lens of wildlife painting.
Kalabishis’ practice pays direct homage to the beauty of Australia’s native flora and fauna. Her inspiration comes from the natural landscapes of our national parks, our wonderful wildernesses, and the woodlands of her Merri Creek backyard in Melbourne. These are not just places of observation but places of deep listening. Her artwork replicates the earthy textures of nature with a tenderness that speaks of long walks, quiet moments, and a profound connection to place.
At the heart of this exhibition is the black cockatoo—an emblem of the Australian forest and a sentinel of its health. From the totems of our First Nations people across the country from east to west, we see the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo of eastern Australia flying alongside the endangered Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo from Western Australia. These birds, with their haunting calls and sweeping silhouettes, are portrayed not just as subjects of beauty but as messengers. Their presence in Kalabishis’ work is layered with meaning: they are both witness and warning, their flight paths now disrupted by habitat loss, disease, and climate change.
Kalabishis draws on the philosophy of Gaston Bachelard, who described Les Chemins du Désir—paths created by instinct and necessity. In her paintings, these desire lines become metaphors for the choices we make, consciously or not, in shaping our environment. Her work explores the tension between personal longing and collective responsibility. The birds she depicts in her paintings are not solely ornamental; they exhibit signs of distress, displacement, and vulnerability. Their habitats—once vibrant forests, bushlands, and woodlands—are rendered in desaturated tones, echoing the fading memory of what once was.
As someone who has spent decades seeking out birds across Australia, I am deeply moved by the authenticity and urgency of Kalabishis’ vision. Her art is not only a celebration of nature’s beauty but also a call to action. The looming threat of H5N1 avian flu, the erosion of critical habitats, and the broader ecological shifts we face are all present in her work—not as overt statements, but as quiet, persistent truths.
For me, the exhibition is a visual reckoning. It asks us to consider the paths we have taken and the ones we must now forge. Through Kalabishis’ eyes, we are reminded that the bush is alive with stories, that the forest still breathes, and that the birds—especially the black-cockatoos—are still calling. The question is: are we listening?
Tim Dolby is a well-known Australian birdwatcher and former Convener of BirdLife Australia in Victoria. He is the author of several Australian bird books including Finding Australian Birds: A Field Guide (CSIRO, 2016, 2nd Ed. 2025) and Where to See Birds in Victoria (Allen & Unwin, 2009). Tim is a Leader for the US-based Wings Birding Tours Worldwide and the UK-based Sunbird Tours, a Senior Leader with Australia’s leading bird tour company Bellbird Tours, as well as a tour leader for Australian Geographic Travels. Tim has also worked with Tourism NT, being a special guest guide at Kakadu National Park and the Alice Springs Desert Centre. Tim currently moderates the Australian Birdlines.
