Meridian

Sullivan and Strumpf Sydney 2009

Kate Shaw’s Meridian, exhibited at Sullivan+Strumpf, was deeply informed by her time spent on residency in Darwin and her visits to the remote communities of the Warliyarti Artists in Western Australia. Immersed in the extraordinary terrains of the Tanami Desert and the Western Desert regions, Shaw's engagement with Indigenous artists and their Country catalyzed a subtle but profound shift in her practice. While maintaining her signature use of poured resin and synthetic color, Meridian reflected a heightened awareness of place—not only in its geological form but in its spiritual, cultural, and ancestral dimensions. The works in this series convey a complex emotional resonance: the awe of the vast landscape, the fragility of ecosystems, and the power of deep, time-imbued knowledge embedded in the land.

The landscapes Shaw encountered during her travels—expanses of ochre plains, cracked salt lakes, shifting skies—infused the palette and composition of Meridian with new energy. Her works often resemble topographic visions seen from above, but in this exhibition they carried a weight of stillness and reverence. While Shaw’s process remained abstract and intuitive, it seemed to pay homage to the way Indigenous artists map Country—connecting physical landmarks with stories, cosmology, and memory. Though not attempting to replicate these systems, Shaw’s art responded to their presence with sensitivity and respect, creating a dialogue between her own psychedelic sublime and the enduring presence of a culture that has lived with, rather than over, the land.

Exhibiting Meridian at Sullivan+Strumpf was an important moment for Shaw, positioning her practice within a larger narrative of contemporary Australian landscape painting that is increasingly attentive to First Nations knowledge and environmental urgency. The title itself—Meridian—suggests a dividing line, a moment of alignment, or a crossing point, and perhaps reflects Shaw’s own transition into a deeper engagement with the land beyond visual surface. The exhibition demonstrated that her landscapes are not just imagined spaces but are grounded in lived experience, cultural exchange, and an evolving understanding of how to see, honour, and interpret place. In this way, Meridian signaled a maturing in Shaw’s oeuvre: still dazzling and fluid, but more anchored in the ethical and emotional weight of Country.