Serotiny: Parables of the Banksia

This exhibition offers a quiet space to consider grief, loss and brokenness—experiences which are often kept private, contained or unseen in our society. 

For Lucy Gray, art is central to her movement through pain, suffering and renewal. It has become a language for her to express lament, walk through seasons of loss and suffering, and remind herself that there is yet hope. 

Many works arise from specific moments within that process, expressed through large-scale paintings, video pieces, linocut prints and drawings. 

Serotiny is the botanical term for the unique ability of certain banksias to germinate under fire conditions. Using this allegory, the exhibition explores suffering and endurance, transformation and the possibility of healing. 

More than a botanical subject, the banksia becomes a guide, revealing how resilience and legacy can emerge from life’s most fractured places.

Exhibition Opening: Friday 11 September, 6pm-7.30pm

Artist Talk: Saturday 19 September, 2pm-3pm

Location: Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah, 63 Ormsby Terrace Mandurah

Dates: Saturday, 12 September-Sunday, 11 October 2026

Opening times: Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm

Tickets: not required

Accessibility: wheelchair accessible, ACROD Parking, accessible toilet.

Acknowledgements: this event is presented by City of Mandurah and Lucy Gray as part of Mandurah Arts Festival 2026.

Related events from the Mandurah Arts Festival Program:

CASM After Dark: Shaded Banksias 

Friday 18 September and Friday 25 September, 6pm - 8.30pm

Serenity: Yoga in the Gallery

Saturday 3 October, 5pm - 6.30pm