Tales from the Trees of Old brings Tasmania’s endangered forests to the Long Gallery

A new exhibition at Hobart’s Salamanca Arts Centre is using visual art to spotlight some of Tasmania’s most threatened tree species and the fragile ecosystems that support them.

Tales from the Trees of Old, showing in the Long Gallery, brings together the work of three Tasmanian-based artists: landscape photographer Joy Kachina, visual artist Fiona Francois, and textile artist Cindy Watkins.

The exhibition explores ancient and endangered trees including the Miena Cider Gum, King Billy Pine, Pencil Pine and Fagus, while drawing attention to the broader forest communities that sustain them.

For photographer Joy Kachina, the exhibition is the culmination of five years spent documenting the Miena Cider Gums in Tasmania’s Central Highlands.

While many photographers have captured the visible decline of these trees, Kachina sought a different way to tell their story.

“I realised simply documenting them wasn’t enough,” she says. “As I walked through what remained of the forests, I could see that the real story was where life was still thriving.”

Through research and time spent in the landscape, Kachina learned that young cider gum saplings rely on the shelter of understory plants to survive harsh frosts, grazing animals and changing climate conditions. This discovery became central to her photographic approach.

Using the in-camera multiple exposure function of her Nikon Z8, Kachina layered images of subalpine plant communities over central subjects, often dead or dying trees.

The resulting images reveal the interconnected nature of the forest, highlighting the critical role of understory vegetation in nurturing new growth and ensuring the survival of future generations.

“The elder trees are part of a much larger fabric,” she says. “The forest itself has a story, if you’re still enough to see it.”

Alongside Kachina’s photography, Fiona Francois presents hyper-realistic charcoal works that explore resilience, history and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Her practice draws on symbols such as the Tree of Life and the divine feminine to encourage emotional engagement with environmental issues.

Textile artist Cindy Watkins contributes intricately stitched works inspired by the textures and colours of Tasmania’s highland forests.

Created using free-style machine stitching on silk and cotton, many of her pieces are hand-dyed with natural materials collected from the bush.

Watkins recently completed a six-year project stitching 5,000 trees, underscoring her long-term commitment to environmental storytelling through textiles.

The exhibition also serves as a call to action. The Miena Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii), found only in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, is under increasing pressure from climate change, bushfires, feral animals and habitat loss.

One of the most significant threats is the decline of protective understory vegetation, without which young trees struggle to survive.

By presenting multiple artistic perspectives, Tales from the Trees of Old aims to spark conversation around conservation and the restoration of forest ecosystems.

The exhibition includes guest appearances by forest advocate Bob Brown and Tasmanian Land Conservancy CEO Dr Katherine Tuft.

Tales from the Trees of Old is showing at the Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart. It opens on Friday 6 February and runs until the 15th of February.