Six years in the making, ‘State of Mind’ is a thought-provoking and challenging work including both black and white and colour images, inspired by Narelle’s personal experiences. ‘It was created to enhance public awareness and challenge the stigma associated with drug and alcohol abuse’, said Narelle. The intention of the work is to spark debate on a controversial social and health issue.

State of Mind was exhibited at the 2003 International Conference on Drugs and Young People in New Zealand and the 15th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm.

Exhibition Listing:

• Ballarat - 2001
• Echuca - 2003
• Bendigo - 2003
• Wellington NZ - 2003
• Melbourne - 2004
• Bendigo - 2004
• Melbourne - 2004
• Canberra - 2004
• Melbourne - 2005
• Sydney - 2005
• Melbourne - 2005
• Belfast - 2005
• Poland - 2007
• Belgrade - 2010/11

The body of this work is designed to illustrate two examples of stigma in two different settings: treatment of gypsies, homosexuals and prostitutes at the very beginning of what we now know as the Holocaust and secondly, the treatment of drug addicts today demonstrating that we haven’t come far in terms of excluding sub-groups into pockets while the majority of society live a more acceptable existence.

Exhibition Schedule:

Trocadero Gallery Footscray
Studio 64 - Smith Street Collingwood

There is nothing more beautiful than a successful loving relationship’, says Narelle. ‘But too often we can become lost and overwhelmed by the process of two becoming one’. This exhibition is about imagining ourselves as the teacup while our partner is the saucer. In this way, the ideal partner should complement the individual.

Exhibition Schedule:

Manila University - 2009
Queen Victoria Woman's Centre Melbourne Date 2009/2010
Narelle Byrne Gallery Kew - 2009/2010

Narelle’s project ‘We Shine Like Stars – When We Say No to Violence’ was created in 2010. The first artwork connected to this series was created while making the Peace Montage in 1999 while Narelle was studying at La Trobe University in Bendigo. The Peace Montage was a creative response to the Kosovo War. 10 years later while exhibiting in Manila, Narelle met Olivera Simic who is a survivor of this war. They became friends and colleagues. "We Shine Like Stars" was created for the article Olivera was writing called "Crossing the Lines" a play involving women survivors expressing the pain of war. This took place at a theatre in Belgrade. "Dah Theatre" is the stage constructed by to address via artistic expression, reconciliation: voices being heard through artistic experience shaping direction to recovery. It is the process of letting go creatively to develop a space for growth and hope where imagination can shape its way to a new life, new beginnings and healing.

Exhibition Schedule:

Narelle Byrne Gallery, Kew
Family Voilence has No Boundaries Conference, Melbourne, October 2015