WHEN you hear the word sushi, you often think of the accompanying soy sauce – the cute little plastic fish with a red cap filled with black goodness.
What’s not to love, right?
Well, actually, the environmental impact from these little packages of soy sauce is what’s not to love.
Katherine McNamara, a contemporary visual artist based in Ipswich, works across painting, drawing, and printmaking.
Her bold and visually striking works often combine whimsy and playfulness with deeper reflection, inviting audiences to consider the environmental impact of everyday habits.
Through her focus on these iconic plastic soy fish, Katherine highlights the consequences of single-use plastics.
Her ongoing and ever-evolving Little Fish, Big Problem series embodies this dialogue, transforming a familiar object – delightful in design yet ultimately disposable – into a symbol of environmental awareness and change.
Katherine is inspired by the conversations that art creates; the opportunity for people to connect; and when you make something that resonates with someone, that’s very special.
With a background in print making, her current medium of choice is acrylic paint used in combination with tape and masking techniques to produce work reminiscent of print making, block printing and Pop Art aesthetic and also using acrylic pens for fine detail work.
With an interest in art that goes back throughout her school years, Katherine’s continued artistic passion has been rewarded along the way with many awards and accolades.
Her proudest moment was when her EOI was accepted and given an opportunity to exhibit at the Ipswich Community Gallery alongside fellow artist Amanda Laing.
She is currently creating an amazing new body of work that she will be exhibiting with Amanda Laing from August 6-6 at the Ipswich Community Gallery.
Open daily from 10am to 3pm, entry is free.
There will be an opening event on Saturday, August 8 at 3.30pm and an artist talk the next day from 10.30-11.30am.
Both events are free.
For more information and to book tickets, go to ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au and search exhibitions.
Follow Katherine’s amazing art journey on Instagram @katherine.mcnamara.artist.
