Worlds Around Us
Tweed Regional Gallery | 27 jun. — 9 nov. 2025
“...we need to relearn multiple forms of curiosity. Curiosity is an attunement to multi-species entanglement, complexity and the shimmer all around us.” Tsing, A. [et al.] (2017) Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet: Ghosts and Monsters of the Anthropocene
The artworks in Worlds Around Us by Sammy Hawker are recent interactions between the artist and the more-than-human worlds she encounters. Following the humpback whale cycle of migration along the east coast of Australia, the works explore interspecies dialogue, material presence and how a practice of curiosity cultivates empathy and care.
For this exhibition Sammy co-created 35mm film photographs of the humpback whale migration with ocean water collected from site. She also worked with designer Sam Tomkins to develop an analogue cymatic instrument. Cymatics (from Ancient Greek: κῦμα for 'wave') is the study of making sound and vibration visible.
For this exhibition the cymatic instrument is responding to hydrophone recordings of humpback whale songs, projecting the shape of these songs as they vibrate through water on a plate. Sammy has documented these shapes to create a series of cymatic figures.
The whale songs were recorded by Mark Franklin of The Oceania Project off the coast of eastern Australia, during the humpback whales cycle of migration between their birthplace in the Great Barrier Reef and their Antarctic feeding areas. The Oceania Project is a long-term research project established in 1988 by Franklin’s parents, Dr Trish and Dr Wally Franklin, dedicated to raising awareness around humpback whales. The research published by The Oceania Project gives insights into eastern Australian humpback whales' social behaviour and organisation, abundance and reproduction and emphasises the importance of rehabilitation, preservation and conservation of humpback whales and their ocean environment.
Cymatic Projection of Whale Song | (Migaloo) recorded in 1998 by Mark Franklin for The Oceania Project. Migaloo is a rare albino humpback whale that, when first sighted, was believed to be the only white whale in the world.
Humpback whale migrating south, 2024, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag. 35mm photograph processed with ocean water collected from site on Walbunja Country (Yuin Nation).
Humpback whale migrating south, 2024, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] $1180 unframed
136cm H x 110cm W [edition of 5 + 2AP] | $4500 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
holding things lightly, feeling them deeply, 2024, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] $1180 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Figure from Humpback Whale Song (Equinox #1), 2025, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] $980 unframed
110cm x 110cm [edition of 5 + 2AP] | $3800 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Figure from Humpback Whale Song (Maia #4), 2025, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] $980 unframed
110cm x 110cm [edition of 5 + 2AP] | $3800 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
beyond the veil, 2021, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
59.4cm H x 84.1cm W [edition of 10 + AP] | $1380
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Figure from Humpback Whale Song (Pleiades #1), 2025, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] | $980 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Figure from Humpback Whale Song (Migaloo #1), 2025, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] | $980 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Figure from Humpback Whale Song (Migaloo #1), 2025, pigment inkjet print on archival cotton rag
60cm H x 48cm W [edition of 10 + AP] | $980 unframed
shipping: artworks will be shipped at the close of the Tweed Regional Gallery exhibition in late November 2025.
framing: I am happy to help arrange framing - for glazing options and prices please email me at samantha.v.hawker@gmail.com.
Cymatic Projection of Whale Song | (Maia) recorded on the 1992 southern hemisphere spring equinox by Mark Franklin for The Oceania Project.