Artist photographer Renae Saxby explores trauma, renewal and the grounding pressure of fireside in a brand new exhibition Fire Scars at Maitland Regional Art Gallery

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) presents Fire Scars, a robust new solo exhibition by photographer Renae Saxby exploring hearth as each a harmful and regenerative pressure.

Based on Wonnarua Country in Maitland, New South Wales, Saxby is an award-winning photographer recognised for her portraiture, dwell efficiency images and distant landscapes. Across her observe, she maintains a sustained give attention to the connection between folks, tradition and the surroundings.

In Fire Scars, Saxby turns the digital camera inward, drawing from deeply private experiences to create an intimate physique of labor that displays on grief and therapeutic. Shot between her household’s property in Salisbury, NSW, and distant Arnhem Land within the Northern Territory, the exhibition captures moments the place destruction and renewal coexist.

MRAG Director Gerry Bobsien stated the exhibition presents a profound expertise for audiences.

“These photographs are grand imprints of natural beauty. They capture moments that can shift between destruction and regeneration, expertly conjured up by Renae Saxby.”

Fire occupies a fancy place in our lives. It has the ability to devastate, but it is usually important to renewal, clearing the panorama for brand new development and abandoning each scars and the potential of regeneration.

For Saxby, hearth grew to become a private metaphor and grounding presence throughout a interval marked by profound loss.

“A few years ago, I experienced a series of traumatic events. It was a time of great loss for my family followed by a series of unseasonal bushfires and controlled burns,” Saxby said.

“During this time, I was diagnosed with a condition called Functional Neurological Disorder, which affects the brain’s ability to send and receive signals. I was feeling so much pain and grief on so many fronts and fire became a grounding and calming force for me. I wanted this body of work in Fire Scars to reflect that tension between destruction and renewal.”

Fire Scars is on exhibition at Maitland Regional Art Gallery till 14 June 2026. Find out extra at mrag.org.au/exhibition/fire-scars

Celebrate the exhibition with an evening with the artist on 15 May 2026. This is a free event, but bookings are essential via mrag.org.au/whats-on/fire-scars-exhibition-launch-event

*Image caption: Renae Self Portrait – Print