EXHIBITION DATES: 17 April – 13 June, 2026
OFFICIAL OPENING: Friday 17 April, 6pm
COST: Free

Details

Bitmead lived in Canberra and went to Tasmania to farm two properties on the Emu River and its main tributary the Pet River. This was a major change from living for the previous decade at the foot of Mount Taylor and mainly working in his studio in Chifley.  

He returned after 14 years and now lives directly below South Urambi Hill. He has a studio with a brand-new intaglio press (the most versatile of presses). 

The climate, the geology and the overall settings of the two places are very different but as Sir Douglas Mawson observed comparing Antarctica and Arkaroola, all was once Gondwanaland. 

In this exhibition, Bitmead looks closely at the differences between these two environments and draws similarities past and present. This exhibition then reflects a journey of a circular nature. It encompasses several themes both current and historical, all of which are united by the underlying major problems facing the world such as climate change. Both are evident in the North Island and the South Island of Australia. Bitmead’s commentary is presented in printmaking, painting and ink. 

About the Artist

Peter Bitmead has been a practicing artist since the 1970’s and his work has toured internationally and is held in many private collections in Australia, Japan, Asia, the USA and UAE. Since moving back to Canberra he has established Learmonth Drive print Studio in Tuggeranong.