Nalda Searles is a revered Western Australian artist whose decades-long practice centres on collecting natural materials—grasses, bark, seeds, earth pigments, and found organic matter; transforming them into woven forms that honor the ancient relationship between people and the land.

 

The portrait of Nalda, created from dozens of drawn and painted plywood tiles, merges an image of a coiled, grass basket with her face, using texture and color to draw awareness to that deep connection. The portrait is a tribute to Searles as both maker and vessel, suggesting her identity is inseparable from the landscapes she gathers from.