Peta West is a practicing contemporary Australian printmaker whose work taps into the sublimity of her surrounding environment on the South Coast of New South Wales. Working primarily with linoleum, West creates immersive large-scale prints that beguile audiences with their intricate detailing and depth. West’s prints are worlds unto their own, each a self-contained universe, where plants and animals appear in abundance. They are odes to the natural beauty and resilience of the Australian bush. West’s works are visual collages of her experiences throughout the year, marked by specific interactions with the surrounding flora and fauna.

Ultimately, West’s prints and their expansive detailing perhaps speak to the similarly expansive connectivity between all living things. Yet, there is an undeniable sense of vulnerability to them. Despite the appearance of abundance, the bush relies on a fragile balancing act, which we humans
are inextricably tied to. West’s works are deeply empathetic to the natural world, inviting us to reconsider our place within it, rather than distinct to it.

Prior to printmaking, West was a photographer for over two decades, a medium which allowed her
to develop an eye for composition, depth and balance. This initial training in darkrooms forever instilled in her a love for monochrome, as well as the tactile process of working an image out of a medium.