Between Moments – Holly Terry x Hunter & Folk
Holly Terry and Hunter & Folk come together for Between Moments at HAKE House, a series of works exploring the magic and beauty in simple everyday moments.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Taylah Golden
Holly Terry in her Sunshine Coast studio space. Photo: Taylah Golden
Between Moments is a progression in Holly Terry’s journey, where she delves into a brighter colour palette. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘I’m lucky to share my studio with other artists Kate Florence and Rosie Woods, who are both not afraid to push their own boundaries and try new things. This is something I admire in both of them (and many other artists), and felt a strong calling for a move forward, an evolution,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
A self-taught artist, Holly Terry’s work is feminine in form and palette, though met with a subtle strength using texture to create depth. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘I’m coming to realise that by looking too far forward, all of the in-between, intimate moments that actually matter could be overlooked – I’m definitely no expert at this, it’s consistent practice, I’m still learning and failing at it every day!’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
Sunshine Coast-based self-taught artist Holly Terry is a name you may have seen pop up on Hunter & Folk. We’ve closely followed Holly’s career for the last couple of years – avid fans from the get-go.
Holly is also is one of our talented feature writers, an expert on covering arts and culture across pages of the journal. When Holly came to us with the idea to collaborate on a show at HAKE House in Sydney late last year, the alignment was a natural extension of our journey.
Between Moments, is Holly’s first solo show for this year. The works in the series explore the simplicity of life; the mundane moments that occur daily and how acceptance is a necessary step to finding contentment in life. The works are her contemplations of the mundane, yet integral moments – the moments between.
‘Sitting on the couch with my partner, walking the dog, the repetitiveness of showing up to the studio are all major things that make up my life, and when I take the time to look back, these are the memories that make me feel grounded, supported and alive,’ says Holly.
Departing from her characteristically neutral palettes, Holly explores contrasting, bright tones as a way to bring vibrancy to the moments between. The works embody a deeply textural and soothing nature, met with a fresh depth and playfulness.
‘I found the experimentation with new palettes very challenging, but exciting. I would go home [after a day at the studio] with an extra pep in my step, which to me is what creativity is all about. It’s easy to give people what you think they want time and time again, but for me, true creativity is having the courage to let your intuition guide you,’ says Holly.
‘When I think about it, the mundane is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, and clearly was struggling with, hence the dramatic shift in palette. I had been feeling burnt out after a huge year and I guess the bolder palettes are a visual representation of me trying to create fireworks, in typical Pisces fashion!’ she adds.
‘I found the experimentation with new palettes very challenging but exciting, I would go home with an extra pep in my step, which to me is what creativity is all about.’ Photo: Taylah Golden
“Life doesn’t always have to be a constant hamster wheel of exciting times – there’s significant beauty in the simplicity of the mundane.”
‘The more I experience, the more I believe that the present moment is what life is all about, although it’s easier said than done. I think this understanding is something that you have to learn, rather than just know; maybe it’s a state of mind.’ Photo: Taylah Golden
Between Moments is a progression in Holly Terry’s journey, where she delves into a brighter colour palette. Photo: Taylah Golden
A couple of works from the Between Moments series, sitting in Holly Terry’s Sunshine Coast studio before they make their way to HAKE House, in Sydney. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘At this point in my life I feel it’s important to pay equal attention to the smaller wins rather than constantly looking for the big things. With social media and the modern day idea of “success”, it’s easy to feel lost and get bogged down on yourself when you don’t have a huge win that day.’ Photo: Taylah Golden
Holly’s studio days are a space where an outpour of emotions, thoughts and ideas are released – her work reflects a particular thought, mood, or feeling she might be experiencing at that moment.
‘Most of the time, I think I’m just trying to figure out how to do life in a mostly content and happy way, and I think my work is a reflection of that.’
After a busy and productive 2022, Holly felt a little static at the end of the year and shone a light onto the areas of her practices that needed to evolve, tuning into certain structures, which were no longer serving her.
Today, Holly’s studio days have shifted and are more intuitive than cognitive; she will at times come in a little later, finish early or not go in at all, listening to her daily needs and applying them to her practice. ‘Preparation for this show has certainly reflected this; I’m focusing more on producing what I feel like, taking time off when I need and riding bouts of creativity when they come.’
‘Having my work hanging in such a beautiful space, working with such a talented creative like Ash Holmes and alongside Hunter & Folk are all really big milestones for me. Mostly, I am excited to be in the space with a wine (or gin!) in hand and celebrate this body of work that really pushed me out of my comfort zone,’ she adds.
Sign up to the opening night and also for pre-sale access on March 14th at 5pm.
Join us for a gin and tonic from Four Pillars Gin or a glass of wine from Minimum Wines on Friday 17th of March from 6-8pm at HAKE House.
We can’t wait to see you there!