Keep in Touch: Exploring Loneliness Through Art and Connection

The exhibition Keep in Touch invites us to pause and reflect on what it truly means to feel connected. Running from 24 September to 2 November at Gasworks Arts Park, this creative project brings together local emerging artists to explore the theme of loneliness through craft, visible mending workshops and a shared social dinner.

At its heart, Keep in Touch recognises that loneliness is not simply about being alone. It is about the absence of meaningful connection, the moments when we are surrounded by people yet still feel unseen. Through their work, the artists capture both the ache of isolation and the beauty of the deep, authentic relationships that help to heal it.

The project, supported by Gasworks Arts Park and the City of Port Phillip, reminds us that connection, like craft, is something we make with our hands and our hearts. Every thread, stitch and shared story contributes to a sense of belonging that is both personal and collective.

Created by Louise Samuelsson alongside fellow artists Sam Kariotis, Alana Davis, Jorja Timms, Anselma Forlano, Amelia Dowling and Sydney Sydney, Keep in Touch invites audiences to reflect on their own relationships with connection and solitude, and to remember that healing and belonging often begin with the courage to reach out.

Louise’s piece (pictured), It comes and goes in waves (2025), is a striking embroidered work created with fabric from friends, cotton thread and synthetic polymer paints. The title captures the ebb and flow of loneliness, how it moves through our lives and softens through connection.