2026 Feature Artist

Tracey Van Oploo (nee Lester) is the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery feature artist for 2026. She is a direct descendant of the Amatto family, and has strong family ties to the Dharawal, Gomeroi, and Wonnarua Nations. She is the mother of three children, and lives on the South Coast of NSW, on the lands of the Dharawal and Dhurgha-speaking Nations. Van Oploo grew up between Nowra and Erowal Bay—her family has been active in the Aboriginal community within the Shoalhaven region, contributing to its growth and resilience.  

There are two large scale reproductions of Van Oploo's works at Shoalhaven regional Gallery. My Journey depicts a journey down the coast and was painted as a gift for a friend. The large meeting place depicted in the right-hand corner represents the friend and her family, and her ancestors—all of whom have helped shape who she is. The sandhills on the left and the water flowing through the centre represent Sussex Inlet, where water from the basin runs through to the ocean at Bherwerre Beach. Sand Hills represents the landscape Van Oploo played on as a child. Growing up, her dad would take us to Bherwerre Beach, where she would run across the sandhills to the shore to collect pipis. After gathering pipis, they would roll down the sandhills and play on them until it was time to go home. This artwork reflects feelings of cherishing those carefree moments of childhood.