Opacity – Living in Layers

By Kels Watkins

This exhibition explores coexistence through overlapping spaces and perspectives, imagining a transparent world where lives intersect simultaneously, revealing the transient rhythms that connect human experience.

We traverse time in the same instant – the present. It’s a shared experience, but everyone lives and processes it in different ways. We’re living in a simultaneous world, from a singular perspective. What if we could turn down the opacity around us and see through buildings, witnessing the complexities of coexistence? ‘Opacity – Living in Layers’, imagines this world, where spaces and faces fold through one another, celebrating the transient rhythms that connect our perspectives.

Kels Watkins

Kels Watkins is a Central Coast based artist, working primarily in oil on canvas. Her work is characterised by layered, surreal genre scenes, accompanied by strong palettes.

Her style was first inspired by reflections on a glass pool fence, prompting a piece, ‘Sunday Slugs’, that earnt Kels a finalist position in Gosford Art Prize at 19, then again in 2024 with another reflection-inspired work. ‘Opacity – Living in Layers’ marks her solo exhibition debut.

Kels’ practice starts with the palette, finding versatile and contrasting colour combinations, favouring rusty oranges, browns, and blues. Some compositions are loosely based on reference images, though more recently, Kels prefers utilising her subconscious to produce more surreal scenes. She forms the visuals intuitively, starting with an extremely loose underpainting, refining lines and details along the way. Many figures in her body of work are intentionally unspecific, serving as vessels for the audience’s own perspectives.

This is an all ages exhibition (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult; very mild nudity)

If you’re driving, street parking and public parking is available in Baker St car park (enter via Erina St near Gosford hotel and ground floor parking is free)

Please note at this time the basement gallery is accessible only via stairs which is 8 stairs to platform and then 6 more steps to the basement.

At this time we are seeking to apply for a infrastructure grant for the $97k lift from ground floor to basement.

EXHIBITION LAUNCH

Opens Wednesday 06 June 5:30PM

RSVP HERE to attend the exhibition launch night