Karen Holloway

Holding the Ground explores the quiet strength and ecological poetry of Australian native grasses—plants often overlooked yet foundational to biodiversity, soil health, and the living memory of land. Through works that balance fragility and resilience, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the vital role native grasses play in sustaining ecosystems and resisting the pressures of urbanisation, drought, and disturbance.

This body of work draws from field studies, botanical observations, and personal engagement with remnant grasslands across the ACT and surrounding regions. Grasses, with their finely tuned adaptations and regenerative capabilities, become metaphors for both environmental stewardship and emotional endurance.