Like a symphony in four parts, the essential elements of nature – earth, water, air, fire – must interconnect to attain harmony. It is in the balance and communication within those parts, and the associative properties of stability, emotion, thought and passion, that concord is attained.

In 2008, I spent six months in the Northern Territory working on a commission, and during that time I had the opportunity to travel around some of the outer regions of Darwin to explore the diversity of that unique landscape. At times, what I was observing appeared incongruous with all my other senses. I had to close my eyes to see the landscape. The apparent stillness in my view contrasted with the buzzing of insects, cries from distant birdlife, sweet perfumed warm moist air surrounding me as the heat of the rising sun touched my skin.

These works, produced from that experience, are sensory memories developed from paintings and sketches while there. They are subjective and personal, yet aim to spark a larger conversation about the ability of nature to act as a universal language, a shared song.

Danelle Bergstrom, exhibition artist statement, 2010