Visualising the Invisible

An exhibition that accompanies my PhD research

Post Office Gallery, Ballarat, Australia
Exhibition Dates: 28 March - 31 May 2025

When I started my PhD journey in 2022, I searched for the words; ‘dyslexia’, ‘art’ and ‘Australia’ and was dismayed to find very few hits. I was looking for a representation of who I was, and what I was met with was a lack of visibility. Visualising the Invisible is my story through the lens of research. As a late-diagnosed dyslexic, I wanted to understand who I was through my cognitive difference and the influence this has had on my art practice. I discovered the strengths associated with dyslexia include visual-spatial awareness, pattern recognition, narrative reasoning and multi-dimensional thinking, attributes I rely on as a multi-discipline artist and designer. In this exhibition, I have explored concepts such as the stigma of disclosing an invisible disability, masking my struggles as a coping strategy, and seeing the world differently. Visualising the Invisible is a celebration of difference and resilience. Step inside and experience a new perspective.

exhibition wide view
mid view with Oscillation of Disclosure in the foreground
Mountain Out of Words corner
painting titled Divergent on the right hand side looking towards the Swing series and gallery windows
Painting titled MARKING with paintings LOOP
Painting The Space Between on right and Beyond Words on left
Close up of pencil wrting on the wall
Close up of Beyond Words
Close up of dark painting with light painting in the distance
Painting titled Portal and Hiding in Plain Sight in the distance
The sunny corner, Spatial series and LOOP series
Oscillation of Disclosure, photo in water tank on the floor

Video from Visualising the Invisible

A series of short, art films from the exhibition Visualising the Invisible. Made to be projected on a round screen, to appear as a portal, these short films speak to challenges, isolation, defiance, and finding strength. The words are from an anonymous survey that I conducted as part of my PhD research, where I asked artists, who identified as dyslexic, to answer questions on education, art practice and experiences. A poster of the survey results can be found here. Film titles included in this reel:

1. In the Mind's Eye, 2024

2. Decipher, 2024

3. Black Water Alone, 2024

4. Between Hyperfocus, 2025

5. Finding Difference, 2022

  • Oscillation of Disclosure, 2025

    Oscillation of Disclosure (photo only), 2025

  • The Space Between

    The Space Between, 2024

  • The Red Swing

    The Red Swing, 2023

  • Spatial Tangerine

    Spatial Tangerine, 2023

  • LOOP, 2024

    LOOP, 2024

  • Dyslexic Sublime

    The Dyslexic Sublime, 2025

  • Some Struggles

    Some Struggles, 2024

  • The Bardo

    The Bardo, 2023

  • Hiding In Plain Sight, 2023

  • Solace Amongst the Trees, 2023

  • Self {rojection, 2023

  • The Swing, 2023

  • Oscilation of Discloure, 2025

Visualising the Invisible investigates how dyslexia influences my visual art practice, revealing links between dyslexic traits—such as visual-spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and narrative reasoning—and creative processes. Through practice-based and autoethnographic methodologies, I examine how these traits manifest in my work and align with the experiences of other dyslexic artists. The research culminating in an exhibition of photography, painting, and installation, this PhD is the first Australian study of its kind, contributing new knowledge at the intersection of dyslexia, creativity, and contemporary visual art.