Contemplating Physalis

Lillian Taylor

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 30 January – Sunday 22 February 2026
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays + Sundays + Public Holidays 10:00am – 3:00pm

Opening Event :
Friday 30 January 2026, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Exhibition to be opened by artist Lynne Brown

An exhibition of paintings by Lillian Taylor featuring the cape gooseberry plant in a reflection on life stages, purpose and connection.

Physalis peruviana, also known as ‘cape gooseberry’, ‘little lanterns’ and ‘uvilla’, is the focus of this exhibition of colourful oil and watercolour paintings. The fruit’s papery calyx is featured in various stages of its life cycle, floating in abstract surroundings. The protective husk around the berry is seen in different phases of existence, from the soft young green cape to the brittle mature beige form when the fruit is ripe, and into its older, organically woven adornment containing the seeds that eventually fall away. 

The paintings portray a deep reverence for Physalis’s intricate and delicate form as a unique example of nature’s wondrous aesthetics. The works are also a metaphor for the various stages of our lives and represent a contemplation on ageing and the passing of time. Themes of connection and isolation are explored as well as a visual dialogue of memories, impermanence and purpose. The works have an ethereal sense and an ambiguity which invites us to create our own interpretations and responses. 

Lillian grew up surrounded by nature and creativity, enticing her to complete a fine arts degree in 2005. Her attention was then diverted to sharing creativity with children as a mother and early childhood teacher, before her own artistic passion was rekindled in 2022 with the discovery of art classes at The Colour Circle, Hobart. The classes introduced her to oil and watercolour painting, with oils being her main adoration. Always inspired by nature, Lillian’s work varies from colourful abstract and imagined environments to more realistic depictions. This is her first solo exhibition.