Fish 6

This series of original paintings embarks on an odyssey across the vastness of the ocean, where Brittany Ferns weaves a tapestry of folklore and symbols, tapping into humanity's enduring fascination with the mysteries of the deep. At the heart of her exploration are mermaids, ancient figures that have long represented transformation, serenity, and the raw, uninhibited power of the feminine form. The mermaid, in Ferns' hands, transcends cultural mythology, becoming a vessel for contemplating the depths of the human experience and our collective enchantment with the unknown.

Ferns' process is as layered as the materials she works with—thick linens, muslins, and wax are built up into richly textured surfaces that evoke a tactile sense of antiquity, as though these paintings are remnants of a forgotten world. The resulting works possess a nostalgic aura, reverberating with the age-old tradition of storytelling, where each brushstroke becomes a whispered legend passed down through time.

The inspiration for this series emerged from an unexpected source: the song Lady Blue by Australian singer Emily Wurramara, which Ferns listened to repeatedly during the creation of the series. In the final stages of the process, she found herself drawn to the meaning behind Wurramara's lyrics: "Lady Blue is what my grandmother called the sea. The sea is majestic, is graceful, is mysterious and so alluring. I was thinking Ancient Mermaid kind of feel when I wrote this song."

This unintentional synergy between music and painting opened a new dimension in Ferns' work, deepening the emotional resonance of the series. The connection between Wurramara's ode to the sea and Ferns' own mermaids imbues each painting with a sense of timelessness—an echo of the sea’s ancient whispers that pull us back into its depths, where stories and dreams are as fluid and infinite as the water itself.