Antonia Perricone in 2025

Veiled Grounds
10.05. - 07.06.2025

We are delighted to present Antonia Perricone’s debut solo exhibition as a represented artist at Dominik Mersch Gallery. The artist weaves personal experiences with physical mark-making as each energised action of her brushstroke inscribes a unique visual narrative upon the canvas. ‘Veiled Grounds’ presents Antonia’s distinctive mark-making as a visual meditation on the unseen dimensions of labour. Her new body of work, grounded in physicality, speaks directly to the rhythm and endurance displayed throughout the 1949-74 Australian Snowy Mountains Scheme and its untold stories of migration and labour. Through layered forms and symbols, the artist prompts a re-evaluation of the narratives that have defined Australian history and a deeper understanding of its complex web of migration and legacy.

The artist says: “The paintings become a testament to the stories held within me and allow my body to communicate in a language that exists beyond words, conveying deeper meanings and representing the interrelationship between abstraction and real-life associations at the core of my practice. Each stroke and gesture in the artwork reflects the rhythm, endurance, and determination that shaped the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Through abstract compositions, I explore how these marks represent the physicality of work, while also echoing the layers of identity and resilience that migrant labourers brought to the project. Between 1949 and 1974, over 100,000 people from more than 30 countries contributed to this monumental effort, with migrants making up over 65% of the workforce. My work responds to this history by layering forms and symbols that reflect the fragmented yet interconnected experiences of migration and labour. These marks, much like the individuals they represent, come together to form a collective whole.”