Fine Art Exhibition
This September, The Kin Kin Hotel is delighted to present Symbiosis, a special exhibition of new works by acclaimed Northern NSW artist Kate Owen, accompanied by an immersive one-day painting workshop celebrating colour, creativity and intuitive mark-making.
Kate has exhibited extensively throughout Australia, with her work held in private collections both nationally and internationally.
Renowned for her vibrant use of colour and expressive visual language, her paintings explore our connection to the natural world, inviting viewers to experience the quiet dialogue between landscape, memory and emotion.
“SYMBIOSIS is a collection of semi-representational mushroom forms and abstract paintings that explores the parallels between the hidden world of fungi and the complexity of human relationships. While the mushroom inspired works celebrate the extraordinary diversity of fungal forms, the abstract paintings evoke the environments in which they thrive, layers of undergrowth, shadowed spaces, and rich organic matter where unseen networks sustain life.
My abstract process mirrors these environments. Through splashes of paint, scribbled oil stick, and instinctive gestural mark-making, I embrace spontaneity and allow intuition to lead. The physical act of painting becomes a way of satisfying a deeply rooted creative impulse, where seemingly chaotic marks gradually evolve into interconnected ecosystems.
My fascination with mushrooms has become something of an obsession over the past several years, coinciding with a period of significant personal growth. As I worked through family trauma, I began to recognise that some relationships in my life had become parasitic rather than nourishing. This realisation challenged me to establish healthier boundaries and protect my own wellbeing. In doing so, I came to understand that the healthiest relationships, like the most resilient ecosystems, depend on reciprocity, balance, and mutual support.
Symbiosis is the foundation of thriving natural systems, and I believe it offers a powerful metaphor for human connection. Strong relationships are built on recognising one another's strengths and vulnerabilities, creating space for individuality while growing stronger together.
Just as fungal networks quietly sustain forests beneath the surface, our relationships are shaped by emotional undercurrents that often remain unseen yet profoundly influence our capacity to flourish.
The fungal kingdom continually inspires me not only through its astonishing diversity of colour, form, and function, but through the lessons it offers about resilience, interdependence, adaptation, and coexistence. Although each organism is distinct, together they form complex, harmonious systems that support life. SYMBIOSIS is both a celebration of this remarkable world and a reflection on the ways we, too, are connected through the relationships that sustain, challenge, and transform.”
Kate Owen 2026
Opening reception; September 5th 12.30pm - Sunday 27th September
Kate Owen At The Kin Kin Hotel
Purchase Kate’s Paintings
"I discovered Kate's work quite by accident. I'd wandered into a Sydney gallery to see another artist, only to find myself completely captivated and purchasing one of Kate's paintings instead! There is something so compelling about the fine line she walks between whimsy, colourful abstraction and representation. Her work invites you to look a little longer, revealing layers of colour, movement with every new glance.
I'm absolutely thrilled that Kate has created an entirely new body of work for the exhibition at The Kin Kin Hotel. Seeing these paintings hung within our colourful heritage interiors is very moving.
Whether you're discovering Kate's work for the first time, participating in her workshop or have admired her paintings for years, I hope this workshop and exhibition double-act sparks curiosity, inspires creativity and perhaps even tempts you to take home an original piece from this special collection."
— Ellie Ezrine, Interior Designer & Co-owner, The Kin Kin Hotel