Karma Barnes

Orogenies of the Sublime explores geological and psychological processes as metaphors for adaptation and transformation. Bridging hemispheres and seasons, it unfolds between the winter currents of the Cervo River in Biella, Italy, and the heat-drenched landscapes of the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia. Barnes draws on orogeny—the tectonic formation of mountains through collision and upheaval—to examine how pressures generate new forms in both nature and the human spirit.
An evolution of Filo di Terra e Speranza (Thread of Earth and Hope)—conceived with Francis Saverio Teruzzi—the installation reflects on how ecological and existential crises shape emergent states of being. A trans-hemispheric palette combines industrial pigments from Italy with volcanic earth pigments from Australia, interwoven with graphite. Abstract gestures and layered textures evoke geological cycles and environmental shifts.
Suspended by invisible filaments, 40 biomorphic paintings hover weightlessly, inviting an embodied encounter with cycles of creation and decay. The work frames resilience as an adaptive, generative force that thrives on diversity and interdependence, challenging hierarchical climate responses. Viewers become active participants in a living system shaped by uncertainty and hope.