ARTIST STATEMENT
The Black Cherry is a piece of poignant artwork that emerged from my experience of miscarriage, but its meaning has expanded to encompass the deeply personal reflection of all pregnancy losses—including stillbirth and abortion. It is a work that reflects the emotional, physical, and hormonal aftermath of these sad and often-silenced events.
The Black Cherry is a mournful exploration of reproductive loss. The single dark fruit symbolizes the bittersweet tension between the potential for new life, the promise of life, contrasted with the profound sense of loss and the conflicting emotions that accompany it.
Though rooted in one individual experience, the piece speaks to a broader cultural silence surrounding reproductive grief. Such loss is frequently met with discomfort or minimization, in which grief is shaped, suppressed or denied by social expectations that discourage open acknowledgment. The Black Cherry gives quiet form to that which is often hidden or unspoken.
This piece also honors the grief of partners, whose emotional experiences are too often overlooked and left without space to grieve. It gestures toward the shared loss and pushes against narrow expectations of who is allowed to mourn.
In a time where reproductive choices are policed, and conversations around pregnancy loss remain taboo, The Black Cherry invites reflection on how we speak—or find challenging to speak—about loss, gender, and grief. It is both a personal act of mourning and a quiet demand for collective empathy, where vulnerability is not hidden, but honored.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Monika Poray is an Australian artist whose practice centres on a self-defined concept called Geodesia—an artistic exploration of natural geometries expressed through an aesthetic and intuitive visual language. Her work investigates mathematical patterns and geometric structures found in both plant life and human anatomy, with a particular focus on the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence.
Currently, Monika is exploring spiral formations—precise mathematical curves found throughout nature—as a metaphor for organic growth. These spiral works, painted in oils on round canvases, offer an illuminating interpretation of how the inherent order of nature can be rendered poetically through visual art.
While Geodesia remains central to her practice, Monika occasionally explores other thematic territories. These works often explore deeply personal, emotional, and sometimes socio-political themes—revealing another dimension of her artistic voice. These occasional departures allow her to respond intuitively to life events and broader cultural conversations, while still maintaining a cohesive and thoughtful approach to form and symbolism.
Alongside her painting practice, Monika also engages in basket weaving, life drawing, and traditional media including charcoal, ink, pencil, and watercolour—skills she has also shared through teaching. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Australia and internationally, and she has also curated community-based exhibitions.
© Monika Andrew Poray