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An original oil painting by Meli Axford
Oil on canvas, 2021, 100 × 80 cm
In Polo Takes A Dip, a small moment unfolds within a larger emotional landscape. A family dog approaches the pool while two female figures occupy the scene with a quiet sense of ease and familiarity. Set against the rolling hills of the Northern Rivers, the painting combines the intimacy of domestic life with the expansive beauty of the Australian landscape.
Much of my practice explores the intersection between place, memory and emotional experience. While the works are rooted in observations of my own family and surroundings, they are less concerned with documenting specific moments than with capturing states of being — safety, connection, freedom and belonging.
The pool has become a recurring motif throughout my work. Over time, I came to understand it as a symbol of emotional sanctuary: a protected space where vulnerability, playfulness and self-expression can coexist. The figures and animals that inhabit these environments act as stand-ins for broader human experiences of care, trust and relationship.
Like much of my Pool Series, Polo Takes A Dip balances the everyday with the symbolic. The painting invites viewers to reflect on the places and relationships that allow us to feel most fully ourselves, and on the quiet forms of love that shape our lives in ways we often only recognise much later.
An original oil painting by Meli Axford
Oil on canvas, 2021, 100 × 80 cm
In Polo Takes A Dip, a small moment unfolds within a larger emotional landscape. A family dog approaches the pool while two female figures occupy the scene with a quiet sense of ease and familiarity. Set against the rolling hills of the Northern Rivers, the painting combines the intimacy of domestic life with the expansive beauty of the Australian landscape.
Much of my practice explores the intersection between place, memory and emotional experience. While the works are rooted in observations of my own family and surroundings, they are less concerned with documenting specific moments than with capturing states of being — safety, connection, freedom and belonging.
The pool has become a recurring motif throughout my work. Over time, I came to understand it as a symbol of emotional sanctuary: a protected space where vulnerability, playfulness and self-expression can coexist. The figures and animals that inhabit these environments act as stand-ins for broader human experiences of care, trust and relationship.
Like much of my Pool Series, Polo Takes A Dip balances the everyday with the symbolic. The painting invites viewers to reflect on the places and relationships that allow us to feel most fully ourselves, and on the quiet forms of love that shape our lives in ways we often only recognise much later.