Sunrise from, Girl on a Wire by Elise Hurst

Re | covered

To complement the Yarra Valley Writers Festival, https://www.yarravalleywritersfestival.com/ YAVA Gallery & Arts Hub is holding Re:Covered, an exhibition of illustrations by artist Elise Hurst (illustrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman) alongside works from YAVA member artists, which will be inspired by a reimagining of their favourite book, poem or book cover. Elise will be in conversation at YAVA during the exhibition; follow us on social media or join the YAVA newsletter to keep in the loop for details.

Books are a most resilient technology. They persist despite expectation, despite upgrades and obsolescences. Perhaps books embody resilience in a way that we readers absorb, as well: we soak up their stories, ride the waves of their characters' experiences, and see ourselves in the mirror of their pages.

Our attachment to books is personal and heartfelt; they accompany us through hard times and we recover. We have favourites: sentimental, nostalgic or life-changing favourites that mean something personal. This meaning transcends the cover and pages, and yet we continue to hold this thing, an object battered and worn, or treasured and pristine.

Artists include: Amanda Ruck, David Miller, Jerry Osadczuk, Christen Jo Stone, John Christie, Julie Ricketts, Kate Baker, Zora Verona, Lucy Hawkins, Mary Newham, Mim Kocher, Melissa Shemanna, Pamela Gordon, Phoebe Lines, Sabina Wills,
Suzanne Phoenix, Wilani Van Wyk-Smit and visiting artist Elise Hurst.