Tasmanian Still Life | Embracing Drama

An Historic location fit for quolls and Australian natives

Fine art still life photography with a playful Tasmanian twist

These images are part of my 2026 collection shot during my 2025 residency at the historic Henry Jones Art Hotel.

These works reimagine the still life as a place where natural history, and imagination converge. Inspired by the theatrical compositions of seventeenth-century Dutch painting, the work transforms the genre through a distinctly Tasmanian lens.

Tasmanian Still Life Exhibition

HENRY JONES ART HOTEL

Packing Room Gallery

Hunter St, HOBART, TASMANIA

26.08.26 - 4.10.2026

The Spotted Minstrel - Limited Edition Native Wildlife Tasmanian Still Life by artist Emma Coombes at the Elm & the Raven

Tasmanian Still Life Series

Edition of 8 (+2/3AP)

59cm x 42cm

Edition of 12 (+2AP)

48cm x 33cm

Tasmanian Still Life

Fine art still life photography with a playful Tasmanian twist

Native symbols, rich textiles, treasured objects and antiques carrying echoes of symbolism, ritual, and wonder are captured through the lens.Neither wholly real nor imagined, curious companions introduce a sense of enchantment, blurring the boundaries between museum specimen, childhood companion, and mythic familiar. Their presence shifts the still life beyond traditional vanitas, inviting playfulness, nostalgia, and storytelling.

These works draw on the visual language of the Baroque while embracing contemporary photographic practice. Rich in symbolism and theatrical detail, the work invites viewers to linger within a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and where nature, folklore, and imagination coexist.

The full collection will be exhibited at the 'Tasmanian Still Life' show at the Henry Jones Art Hotel in 2026. Opening night Friday 28th August 5pm in the Packing Room Gallery. The works can be purchased directly from the Hotel. After the show the limited editions will be made available here from the 5th October. Please contact me directly with enquiries before then.The first image released from this series, 'The Visitor' was shortlisted in the 2025 Henry Jones Art Prize. The full collection will be exhibited at the Henry Jones Art Hotel in September 2026. All works are limited editions, available in two sizes and printed on Ilford museum quality archival cotton rag.'The Spotted Minstrel' (above) the second image released from the collection was winner of the Still Life (Professional) People's Vote Award in the 2026 international Refocus Colour Photography Awards and received an Honourable Mention from the Judging panel.

Henry Jones Art Hotel Residency

This series was created during a 5 week residency at the Henry Jones Art Hotel. To read more about the project and see behind the scenes images, head over to the to the article written to docment the experience.

Artist in Residence