Kerrie Bonnel: Pentimento

Pentimento refers to the traces of earlier marks that remain visible beneath the surface of a painting. It is a record of change, where initial ideas are reworked, painted over, and yet never entirely disappear. These hidden layers offer a glimpse into the artist’s process, revealing moments of decision, hesitation and transformation.

In Kerrie’s work, pentimento becomes both a technique and a way of thinking. Her paintings are built through layers of colour, texture and gesture, each one responding to what came before. What is obscured is not erased, but absorbed into the life of the work, creating surfaces that hold a quiet sense of history and movement. There is a balance between control and spontaneity, where structure gives way to intuition, and the painting evolves beyond its original intent.

This process is one of exploration and discovery. Rather than working toward a fixed outcome, Kerrie allows each piece to unfold over time. Ideas are tested, shifted and reimagined, resulting in works that feel open, expressive and alive. The viewer is invited into this process, to look beyond the surface and consider the layers that sit beneath.

As her first exhibition, Pentimento marks an important milestone. For many years, Kerrie’s painting practice has existed alongside her work in interior design and education, with pieces finding their way into private collections across Australia, New Zealand and Europe. This exhibition brings that practice into the public realm for the first time, offering insight into a deeply considered and evolving body of work.

Drawing on impressions of landscape and place, these paintings do not seek to represent, but to evoke. Like pentimento itself, they remind us that what we see is only part of the story, and that meaning often lies in what is revealed over time.

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