Jacky Winter is pleased to present Motif by Shelley Horan, a series of still life photographs that transform the mundane into the mesmerising. In this show, everyday objects—a tube of toothpaste, a matchstick, a teapot—are meticulously arranged to create moments of surprise, curiosity, and delight. Her compositions are precise, yet the materials she chooses are often inexpensive or overlooked. At the heart of her work is contrast: the tension between the ordinary and the extraordinary, the rigid and the fluid, the playful and the refined.

This new body of work reflects Shelley Horan’s ongoing evolution as a still life photographer, highlighting recurring motifs and materials that have become central to her practice. Textures such as plastic, chrome, glass, and foodstuffs serve as building blocks for her exploration of contrast, transformation, and perception—elevating the everyday into something extraordinary.

The work strives to present familiar objects in unfamiliar ways. A jewel-like gloop of toothpaste oozes from its tube, catching the light like a precious gem. One hundred matchsticks form a swirling, almost meditative pattern, their simplicity turned into something sculptural. Scuffed wooden blocks in primary colours stand rigid, only to be interrupted by scattered Skittles—a collision of structure and spontaneity. A psychedelic teapot, set against a technicolor grid, pulses with visual energy.

Through meticulous composition and a heightened sense of materiality, Shelley’s work challenges perception, inviting viewers to look closer. Her still lifes do more than document objects—they reinvent them, shifting context and expectation to create images that linger in the mind.

Shelley Horan is an Australian photographer working across both commercial and fine art practices. With a foundation in commercial photography, she seamlessly integrates its techniques into her personal work, while her artistic explorations, in turn, inspire fresh perspectives in client projects. This interplay between disciplines—rooted in precision yet driven by curiosity—creates a dynamic tension in her work. Combined with a playful sensibility and an eye for the unexpected, it is this duality that makes her approach distinctive.