A giant wok from celebrity chef Kylie Kwong's restaurant has been transformed into the centerpiece of a whimsical sculpture in artist Nell's latest exhibition at Melbourne's Heide Museum of Modern Art. The well-used cooking vessel, now featuring a carved smiling face, sits atop a vintage wooden ironing board to create what the artist describes as a "curious, happy creature" in her work titled "Meeting the Day (inside)" 2025.
The Sydney-based artist created this piece as a tribute to her wife, renowned chef Kylie Kwong, embodying a simple yet profound message about finding beauty in everyday objects. The sculpture represents the central theme of Nell's new show, which encourages viewers to discover joy and meaning in the mundane aspects of daily life.
"Face Everything," which opens Saturday and runs through March 1, 2026, showcases 85 works, with 50 being brand new creations. Rather than following a traditional survey format, Nell describes the exhibition as a themed show specifically designed to respond to the unique architectural space of Heide Modern. The title carries dual meaning, reflecting both the artist's tendency to "see faces in everything" and her Buddhist-influenced philosophy of confronting life's challenges head-on.
Nell intentionally selected colorful works for the exhibition, citing the current dire state of the world as motivation to bring joy to viewers. "You've got that nice joy, and sorrow and grief," she explains. "It doesn't shy away from harder things, but it's not punching you in the face." This approach is characteristic of the artist's broader body of work, which explores themes of life and death, impermanence, domesticity, spirituality, pop culture, and nature.
The exhibition takes full advantage of Heide Modern's unique layout, a gallery originally designed as a residence by architect David McGlashan in 1963 for the museum's founders, John and Sunday Reed. Artworks are strategically placed throughout different rooms to create dialogue with the domestic spaces. In the bathroom, visitors will find a gold-plated bronze sculpture called "everyday happiness" from 2016, shaped like excrement. A room overlooking the magnificent gardens features a tapestry depicting a serpent and apple, evoking both the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the possibility of actual snakes lurking outside.
Throughout the main downstairs room, hand-forged steel leaves complete with happy faces are scattered across the floor, creating the illusion that they've blown in from the outdoor gardens. From the trees visible through the windows, a series of smiling ghosts swing gently in the wind, blurring the boundaries between the indoor exhibition space and the natural world beyond.
Nell's artistic practice encompasses an impressive range of media, including bronze, earthenware, painting, tapestry, mosaic, textiles, steel, and glass. Notably absent from her work are any screen-based or electronic elements, a deliberate choice that reflects her philosophy about sensory engagement. "I just think it's much more interesting," she states. "I want for myself and for others to use the senses. There's a lot of natural objects, thinking about the inside and the outside; really that is the thing that's going to save us all, using our senses."
The artist's resilient spirit was demonstrated during a press tour of the exhibition when a table leg gave way, sending several artworks sliding to the floor. While most pieces remained intact, one ceramic work shattered completely. Rather than expressing distress, Nell quickly regained her composure and quipped, "Face everything hey, that's it right there!" – perfectly embodying the philosophy behind her show's title.
Among the exhibition's most emotionally powerful pieces is "Mother and child 3" from 2025, featuring a hand-blown glass ghost alongside a smaller version nestled in a beautifully crafted nest of branches. The work is so evocative in its portrayal of sanctuary and relationships that it nearly moves viewers to tears. At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, the show delivers moments of pure comedy through reimagined domestic objects transformed into characters, including an expressive shovel positioned outside, a pair of animated violins, and an upside-down happy bucket.
A striking highlight of the exhibition is a life-size bronze cast created from the artist's own body, positioned in the lotus meditation pose in one of the bedrooms. The sculpture features tree branches made from hand-forged stainless steel as arms, with red glass ghosts hanging from each branch. This powerful work, titled "Self-nature is subtle and mysterious – Tree Woman / Woman Tree" from 2023, is part of the National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection.
Nell's artistic influence extends beyond this solo exhibition. This month, she unveiled a collaborative work with Brisbane-based Indigenous artist Tony Albert at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA). Their joint creation, "The Big Hose," continues Australia's tradition of oversized landmark sculptures with a massive 119-meter garden hose installation. Positioned outside Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art along the riverbank, the sculpture doubles as an interactive playground for children.
For Nell, the Heide exhibition represents a career pinnacle. "To have a solo show at Heide Modern is beyond my wildest dreams and I'm pinching myself," she reflects. "It was a home built for art, and art really sings in here." The exhibition's success lies in its ability to transform everyday objects into profound artistic statements while maintaining accessibility and joy for visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
