“The past beats inside me like a second heart.” – John Banville
Inga Hanover, artist and teacher, creates work that speaks to the powerful bonds of family and culture. Her practice is a celebration of life, heritage, folklore, and tradition, all woven between two distinct cultural worlds.
Inga’s work is steeped in tradition. Surrounded by family who arrived in 1949 as refugees, she grew up in Beechworth where the stories, customs, and love of a homeland were instilled in her by devoted parents and grandparents. These memories remain cherished and are embedded in the cultural inheritance that shapes every artefact she creates.
This exhibition is an extension of Inga and her family. These works are her roots, the very fabric of her soul, shared with all who come to experience them. As we enter the gallery, we step back in time, transported to Budēli, where communities gather to celebrate a traditional Latvian winter solstice ritual. Through artefacts and video, we are invited into a world of masked characters, wild energy, humour, and spirited mayhem. The costumed figures represent Latvian folk characters and animals — bears, wolves, and the symbolic presence of death.
Beyond these pagan figures, we are guided into a world of traditional handcrafts. A dress constructed from materials of another era — waste wool fabric, rubber inner tubing, hand-stitched repurposed textiles, and aromatic clove spice — speaks to resilience and reinvention, alongside a pair of beautifully hand knitted mittens. Continuing this theme is a garment once worn by her father during his time at Bonegilla, transformed into a bird-like character that carries his story forward.
Across all her work, whether prints on canvas, hand-stitched pieces derived from manipulated archival photographs, digital jacquard tapestries, or textile-based constructions, Inga demonstrates meticulous precision, care, and a deep emotional connection. Each artefact holds meaning, a fragment of memory, history, or identity, representing a part of the artist herself.
This exhibition is special on many levels. It offers more than visual beauty; it embodies a love for family, heritage, and tradition. It invites us not only to look, but to feel — to stand within the continuity of culture and recognise the enduring power of the past carried into the present. In doing so, it becomes more than an exhibition; it becomes an experience of cultural memory, creativity, and connection, leaving viewers with an appreciation for the stories that shape us.
More Details & Tickets here.
More Details & Tickets here.