Living in Katoomba on Dharug and Gundungurra Country, artist Pippita Bennett creates textile landscapes inspired by the places she visits or lives near. She uses leaves, bark, and flowers from her surroundings to dye the threads and textiles she works with, often incorporating thrifted materials for added inspiration. The dyed fabrics carry the memory of the places where they were dyed, while the thrifted fabrics hold the memory of their past use. Centred on Pippita’s home and the short trips she takes with her husband as he recuperates from a serious illness, Stitched In Place features vignettes from her life: a tree in the garden, a vase of flowers, the Blue Mountains landscape, and a holiday house on the south coast. This collection reflects the quiet moments in life and the gratitude felt for simple things, like the afternoon sunlight. Pippita works wherever the day takes her—at home, in wild landscapes, waiting rooms, and libraries—allowing her needle to follow the line of a branch, rock, or thought. Her stitches serve as her words, creating a journal of place and time where memories and images overlap to form the landscape of her life. This exhibition builds on her previous work, following her recent show, Following the Needle, at the Corner Store Gallery. The pieces from that exhibition were created while she cared for her husband during his treatment, with each stitch representing a step towards acceptance. Time spent camping and working in the bush was limited, and she often dreamt of her oil pastel landscapes from past trips, including Norfolk Island, the Flinders Ranges, Goobang National Park, the Warrumbungles, and her local landscape of Katoomba. Pippita has been a finalist in the Fisher Ghost Art Award (2023) and the Regional Landscape Prize (2022), and she has exhibited regularly at Corner Store Gallery, Orange. She is currently completing her Masters in Art Therapy. Follow @pippita_bennett_art