Capturing beauty and
finding meaning in
life’s ordinary moments
Above: Saltwater Alchemy, photo of a broken surfboard, shown at Linton & Kay Margaret River Sep-Oct 2025
The first act of insight is throw away the labels.
— Eudora Welty
WELCOME TO
MY WORLD
OF VIBRANT
COLOUR
My art is shaped by a simple but life‑changing discovery: beauty is always present, even in the places we overlook. Once seen, it changes everything.
I photograph everyday objects—quiet, neglected things like lampposts and skip bins—that reveal themselves as art when viewed with attention and curiosity.
I work across a range of media, allowing each piece to unfold in its own time, in the materials that feel most aligned with what wants to be expressed.
At its heart, my practice is about remembering our innate worth, with all of our exquisite imperfections.
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Helen Shearwood
explores the ordinary
and brings us beauty.
— Linton & Kay
Photo of a letterbox
'Beauty, Uncovered'
'Electricity'
Photo of a rubbish bin
Photo of a kerb
'How the Light Gets In'
Helen’s work is defined by its ability to alchemise brokenness into beauty. She transforms her subject matter into bold, abstract compositions that convey something tangible and emotionally resonant.
— Urbane Gazette (Vol 7 Issue 1)
SOLO
EXHIBITIONS
My practice has evolved alongside me, with each exhibition marking a distinct chapter in my own unfolding. Every show becomes a story—held not only in the artwork, but in the accompanying booklet that traces its origins, themes and the lessons I was learning at the time.
While each piece begins in my own lived experience, it doesn’t end there. The work needs the viewer—their seeing, their receiving, their translation—to complete the conversation. Abstraction allows this beautifully, inviting interpretation, not prescription.
Seen together, these exhibitions map the quiet evolution of my practice—from where I stand now to where it all began.
Broken Boards (2025)
Exhibited at Linton & Kay
Margaret River
Broken Boards invites viewers to see with fresh eyes and awaken new possibilities. It explores resilience—the growing understanding that I no longer need to fear the metaphorical storms because I’m learning how to steer my own ship. Featuring photographs of broken surfboards, the exhibition highlights the beauty in imperfection and the way perspective can transform challenge into insight.
Alchemy (2025)
Exhibited at Linton & Kay
Subiaco
Alchemy is the most deeply personal chapter of my practice. It is the moment I learn to do with myself what I did in Infinite Beauty with my subject matter — to find the beauty in what I once believed was broken or unworthy. The exhibition emerges from a period of profound internal change, where transformation becomes an act of recognition rather than repair. Each piece holds that shift: the quiet turning toward myself with clarity, compassion and a willingness to see value where I had not seen it before. The work invites viewers into their own version of that discovery.
Infinite Beauty (2022)
Exhibited at Linton & Kay
Subiaco
Infinite Beauty marks the beginning of my practice—a moment where I first learn to see the extraordinary within the ordinary. The exhibition explores how small, overlooked details can become portals into presence, clarity, and quiet transformation. It invites viewers to shift the way they look at things, opening new freedoms by questioning inherited labels and discovering their own interpretations instead. It becomes the first chapter in learning that beauty often lives in the places we overlook.
With so many inspiring
lessons to be learnt from
Helen’s work, one of the most
profound is the importance of
keeping our eyes open to what
everyday life has to offer.
— BGC Home magazine issue 2