Sammy Hawker: The Pressure of Darkness

Hawker's works give voice to the presence of more-than-human worlds. Working with elements such as ocean water, honeycomb, whale and bird song, she facilitates acts of co-creation to produce works of striking originality.

Her photographic images, chromatograms, sculpture and installations bring together technical, aesthetic and conceptual aspects in equal measure, underpinned by a deep level of research and immersion in particular sites.

Through her work Hawker seeks to connect us to the ecologies and glittering mysteries surrounding us, calling for a deeper listening and awareness.

The Pressure of Darkness is Hawker's largest and most ambitious exhibition in a public gallery in Australia to date. It includes selected works from previous exhibitions, work created from residencies at Tweed Regional Gallery, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, Plumwood Mountain, the CORRIDOR project, and Messums West (Wiltshire, UK), in addition to new work created specifically for this exhibition.

Sammy Hawker: The Pressure of Darkness is a partnership exhibition between Orange Regional Gallery and Canberra Museum and Gallery.

Image: Sammy Hawker at Murramarang National Park, NSW, 2026. Photo: Orange Regional Gallery.