Artist Statement

Drey Willows is an emerging artist based in Melbourne, Victoria. Drey is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT, majoring in printmaking. With a professional background as a Social Worker, Drey has spent many years working with people who have experienced trauma, addiction and violence. As such Drey has an interest in the human experience and human rights and her therapeutic background often mixes with her artistic endeavours.

Artist Bio

These works Behind You and Looking Up were created in the middle of Melbourne’s lock down due to the covid-19 pandemic. At this time my family experienced a devastating loss when a family member suddenly died in a high-profile incident. Aside from the shock and grief, I was also unable to leave Victoria due to border closures to be with my family. I was bombarded with news stories and posts on social media regarding the case that I needed to distance myself from for my own sanity. I was unable to participate in the rituals we usually associate with death and grieving. It felt completely surreal and like a bad dream I couldn’t wake up from. These works explore my unusual experience with death. The feeling of a thousand eyes watching through the media attention and the boundaries presented by social isolation. The feeling of fragmentation and eventual resilience of the human spirit.