The Void is a deeply personal series of large, textured canvases and accompanying audio-visual works created by Pilbara-based artist Melissa Sandy as she struggled to process the death of her aunt (who in Yindjibarndi culture is considered a mother), acclaimed artist Mrs A. Sandy.
Melissa uses her art as a way of processing everyday life and her works give intimate insight into her inner world. The result of years of slow and deliberate creation, her suite of paintings for The Void employs the same intricate patterning that is a feature of the work of many of the Sandy women – layers of texture and a skilled use of metallic paint make their dark forms shimmer in the light. Alongside Melissa’s solo paintings, the exhibition includes a collaborative work created with close family members and a monumental canvas by her late mother/aunt. The exhibition’s audio-visual works and documentary film were created on a return-to-Country trip that allowed Melissa and her extended family to spend time on their homelands of Jirrayi (Mount Florence) on the eastern fringes of Yindjibarndi Country in late 2025.
Melissa began painting in 2006. She has no formal training but quickly developed her own style with a natural flair for design and a meticulous choice of colours. Her works evoke the land and the plants from her Country and the stories told by her Elders, but also frequently explores her identity and emotions with uncompromising honesty. Taking the audience on an intimate journey of grief and healing, each work in The Void stands as both a testament to the resilience of Melissa and her community, and a lasting tribute to Mrs A. Sandy’s artistic legacy.
