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'Common Thread' – online exhibition

‘Common Thread’ is a community exhibition featuring four artists who work with materials from the domestic setting such as needles and thread, children’s school tools, and pieces of paper. Each artist has transformed their chosen material into a tool for social commentary.

Clara Batton Smith’s pieces reveal the history of needlework in political revolution, while calling on us to fight for others in the present. Raising awareness of mental health during the pandemic, Sarah Hallett presents soft fabric text works that reflect the coping mechanisms we shared in lockdown.

Searching for community connections, Ricky Kuruppu uses paper and ink to post messages of wisdom around Melbourne. Natalie Codling repurposes vintage primary school maths tools to create colourful compositions that honour the lasting legacies of teachers.

‘Common Thread’ invites audiences to embrace the beauty of everyday materials that poignantly illuminate our connectedness to others.

Featuring: Natalie Codling, Sarah Hallett, Ricky Kuruppu and Clara Batton Smith.

Many of the artworks in this exhibition are for sale. Visit the Boroondara Arts shop to purchase an artwork.

Image credit: Sarah Hallett, ‘Yay’, 2021, recycled cotton and embroidery floss, 24 x 24.5cm, image courtesy the artist.

Natalie Codling

Natalie Codling, a former architect, began her art practice during lockdown while home-schooling her children. The art teacher at her children’s local Boroondara primary school would set an art project every week to submit, and Codling took it upon herself to complete the work as well.

Through this process, Codling began collecting and repurposing vintage Cuisenaire rods (old mathematics tools used in primary school) gathered from around the world. She began using the Cuisenaire rods as her ‘paint’ to create 2D and 3D artworks.

Each of the artworks are named after either a primary or secondary school teacher who had an impact on the artist’s education and development as a person. When Codling creates a piece, she thinks of a particular teacher and what they meant to her, and then creates an artwork inspired by them. Codling believes teachers are incredibly important to a person’s development, as they help shape the person they become. Since home-schooling her own children, she has an even deeper respect for these hardworking and dedicated individuals.
 

A framed piece of art that shows tesselating cubes made out of wooden rectangles that are mostly brown with some pink and some lighter yellow and light wood mixed in
Natalie Codling, ‘The Student Teacher’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made out of wooden rectangualr blocks that have been arranged in lines both horizonal and verticl to tesselate together and there are pink, yellow, and dark to light brown blocks used throughout the piece
Natalie Codling, ‘Mr Pincott’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
Aframed art piece made up of wooden blocks arranged horizonally in lines and progrssing in colour from light to dark brown, then to pink and orange and returning to pink
Natalie Codling, ‘Mrs Harvey Short’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made up of wooden blocks arranged horizontally progressing from rainbow colours on one side to a range of light browns
Natalie Codling, ‘Mr Kent’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made up of wooden rectangles mostly arranged to be horizonal linea but some vertical pieces mixed in, and colours ranging from light browns to whites and reds
Natalie Codling, ‘Madam Thornquist’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed.
A framed piece of art made up of tesselating wooden rectangles and squares that make a rectangular repeating pattern with blues, greens, reds and pinks and light browns throughout
Natalie Codling, ‘Tristan’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed.
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectangles arranged in a herringbone pattern with pinks and dark browns throughout
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Greet’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made up of wooden rectangles arranged in squares and columns throughout the piece, using bright colours and some raised pieces that emerge from the artwork
Natalie Codling, ‘Mr Dale’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in columns and squares that alternate between bright colours as well as light browns
Natalie Codling, ‘Mrs Howard’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made out of wooden rectangles that a range of greens to dark blue/greay colours, and are arranged in square patterns of different sizes
Natalie Codling, ‘Mrs Moloney’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in square patterns of varying sizes, and coloured a range of blues and greens, as well as light to dark browns
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Barnett-Green’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in square patterns, some qith no piece in the middle of the square and some with raised pieces that emerge from the artwork. The pieces range from pink to greens and blue, as well as light browns.
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Tennant’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged to make a mainly pink circle surrounded by a square of greens and blues.
Natalie Codling, ‘Mrs Hunt’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged to make a mainly green/blue circle surrounded by tesselating pink blocks. Some of the blocks in this piece are raised so they emerge from the artwork.
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Walker’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $890 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged to make a rainbow rectangle of blocks, surrounded by mainly horizontal blocks in dark brown shades
Natalie Codling, ‘Mr Cole’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 28 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged to make a suare of rainbow blocks, surrounded by dark grey blocks with some small green blocks on the edge of the piece
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Jackson’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 28 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in a herringbone pattern with tesselating brown blocks on a diagonal through the middle, and pink blocks with some light brown/white blocks in 2 corners and forming a square in the 3rd corner
Natalie Codling, ‘The Relief Teacher’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 28 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in columns with bright pink, blue and some light and dark brown pieces in the middle of the columns surrounded by dark grey pieces
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Tamsin’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged in rows horizontally across the piece with bright ornages and pinks used alongside a few brown, green and blue pieces
Natalie Codling, ‘Brad’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged to tesselate with each other changign from horizontal to vertical throughout, and using mostly light brown pieces along with some yellow and blue and a few red
Natalie Codling, ‘Mr Jones’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed.
A framed piece of art made of wooden rectanges arranged pink squares of varying sizes with mostly blue blocks between the squares
Natalie Codling, ‘Miss Rose’, 2021, Cuisenaire roads, board with oak frame, 32 x 28cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $750 framed

Sarah Hallett

Sarah Hallett is a Naarm (Melbourne) based crafter and textile-lover. Growing up in the outer-metro suburbs, Hallett was surrounded by fabrics, yarn, sewing patterns and knitting needles belonging to her mother and grandmother. Their ability to shape expressions of identity through craft and textiles has fostered Hallett’s affection for sewing and craft.

The artworks in ‘Common Thread’ are a collection of craft and textile-based soft sculptures which are simultaneously expressions of anxiety and sadness, and a belief that times of hardship cannot last forever. Hallett began making these artworks during Naarm’s first lockdown in 2020. Instead of making clothing and objects for friends and family as she usually would, Hallett needed to make work that was cathartic and an expression of her own mental health during 2020.

The collection of phrases included in her works are lines people often call upon or encounter when reflecting on how they are feeling. Phrases such as ‘I’m fine’, ‘just one more thing’ and ‘It’s all good’, are said in a dismissive way. These pithy comments hold a sad truth; that it’s not ‘fine’ or ‘all good’. However, these comments are also a comforting reminder that this too shall pass.

A piece of carpet with brown, pink, yellow, and grey wool in concentric cicles, overlaid with crocheted letters spelling out 'It's fine'
Sarah Hallett, ‘It’s fine’, 2022, recycled yarn, 30 x 33 x 6cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $250
A piece of carpet with black, red, light blue, and green wool in concentric circles, overlaid with crocheted letters spelling out 'It's fine'
Sarah Hallett, ‘It’s still fine’, 2022, recycled yarn, 32 x 37 x 5cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $250
A piece of carpet with pink, black, orange, and green wool in concentric circles, overlaid with crocheted letters spelling out 'It's fine'
Sarah Hallett, ‘It’s absolutely fine’, 2022, recycled yarn, 29 x 31 x 5cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $250
Crocheted letters in different coloured wool spelling out 'This wont last for ever'
Sarah Hallett, ‘I know, but…’, 2022, recycled yarn, 100 x 50 x 3cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $450
A square quilt using orange and pink flowered material, that has a patch in the middle that says 'Yay' and is decorated with embroidered flowers
Sarah Hallett, ‘Yay’, 2021, recycled cotton and embroidery floss, 24.5 x 24cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $350
A square quilt using orange and yellow flowered material, that has a patch in the middle that says 'Awesome' and is surrounded by a circular rainbow to the edge of the patch
Sarah Hallett, ‘Awesome’, 2022, recycled cotton and embroidery floss, 48 x 50cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $450

Ricky Kuruppu

Ricky Kuruppu is a counsellor, writer, and local artist who has run the street art project ‘Boy Under the Bridge’ for several years, receiving media recognition during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Kuruppu creates snippets of uplifting poetry typewritten on pieces of textured cards that people could stumble upon – and even keep.

During the 2020 lockdown, Kuruppu had the idea to create scavenger hunts with his art. He used his social media platforms and the GPS running app, Strava to share maps that could be followed along with photo clues. The response from the community was that finding his work brought novelty, joy and positivity to their days – during a time when it was needed the most.

Kuruppu is an ambassador for Mental Health Australia, and his messages of hope in dark times have touched the lives of many in Boroondara and greater Melbourne. You can find out more through the Boy Under the Bridge website. You can also find Ricky’s art on Instagram: @boyunderthebridge.

A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a textured surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Saturday’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, sitting on a textured surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Endings Aren’t Everything’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, sitting on the site of a fence overlooking a traintrck that goes underneath the fence
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Looking Back’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, sitting on a grey piece of corregated iron roofing
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Please’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a textured surface that is pink ad white and looks like large brickwork
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Back Then’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a wooden textured surface that has flakign whit epaint revealing natural wood colouring
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Grief’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a multicoloured rainbow surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Colour Blind’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a textured surface that is purple with black lines painted over brickwork
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Cleo’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, sitting on a graffitied surface with grey, white and red graffiti paint across the backdrop
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Missing Pages’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a green textured surface with a brownish yellow tile below the paper
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Soldier On’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, stuck to a pole outside that is part of a chainlink fence and is next to a padlock
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Strangers’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a blue shiny textured surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Lighthouse’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on an orange and yellow grafitti painted surface with a black and a white line painted across the surface under the paper
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Against the Odds’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a brick surface that has been grafittied with black, red, white and orange spray paint
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘A Helping Hand’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, stuck to a brick wall outside with vines and green leaves below and above the paper
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Home’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, stuck to a chainlink fence with a grey wall behind it that is graffitied with black spray paint
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘The People We Know’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on an orange and red textured surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Feel the Wind’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, sitting on a brown tiled surface
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Waiting Room’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a short piece of text printed from a typewriter, stuck to a sign on a fence outside with a backyard fence and greenery behind it
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Comfort’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting on a textured surface that is green, white, blue and pink colours that have blended together like liquid
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Your Mask’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.
A piece of torn paper with a poem printed from a typewriter, sitting across some large rock tiles
Ricky Kuruppu, ‘Fertile Ground’, 2022, vinyl and Arches watercolour paper, 21 x 14.8 cm, image courtesy of the artist.

Clara Batton Smith

Clara Batton Smith is a local artist using needlework to create pieces about social justice and radical gratitude.

Batton Smith writes about her practice: ‘Needlework doesn't traditionally evoke thoughts of political demonstration. Needlework is made to display feminine qualities, decorate homes, make blankets to wrap around babies, not spark a revolution. Dig a bit deeper in history and needle work wasn't only used to prove your homemaking skills to prospective husbands. Abolitionists stitched symbols in quilts making maps to the Underground Railroad. Suffragettes stitched flags and banners to carry their messages through the streets. Needlework is gentle aesthetically but can be as rabble rousing as social realism printmaking or anti-war expressionism painting.

Gratitude also doesn't immediately elicit images of revolution either but through gratitude I find a call to fight for others who may not have all that I have. Through gratitude I find beautiful moments to celebrate in everyday life. I have developed a textile collection centred on expressing gratitude for the love and lessons I receive from the women currently in my life, appreciation for my foremothers and my respect for the ultimate mother, nature herself.’
 

A rustic blue wooden frame with a piece of felt art suspended in the middle of the frame showing a hand holding a sewing needle with red thread
Clara Batton Smith, ‘The Demonstrator’, 2021, hand embroidered floss on cotton, wool felt applique, fibre fill, yarn, and reclaimed wood, 42 x 32cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $660
Circle of material with an imbroidered image of a central eye with large wings covered in smaller rainboe coloured eyes.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Ophanim Angel’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on hand dyed cotton, bamboo hoop, 23cm diameter, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $360
A piece of artwork on felt of a woman's face decorated in flowers and rainbow colours. The artwork is hanging from a branch.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Our Lady of the Night’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on wool felt, repurposed linen applique, yarn and reclaimed wood, 46 x 34cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $660
A piece of artwork on material of a woman's face smiling while hse holds up a hand with one finger raised. The artwork is hanging from a branch by wool and ribbons.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Su Wei Hii (The Protector)’, 2022, Hand embroidered floss on cotton, wool felt, repurposed linen applique, yarn, bells, fibre fill and reclaimed wood, 40 x 37cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $660
A piece of artwork on material of a anatomically correct heart embroidered with rainbow accents adn with the text 'force de coeur' in a banner along the base. The artwork is hanging from a stick with wool, and there are pompoms and a felt heart hanging from the wool.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Force de Coeur’, Hand embroidered floss on hand dyed cotton, wool felt, repurposed linen applique, yarn, fibre fill and reclaimed wood, 26 x 35cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $450
A circle of material with embroidery of two frogs, a large flower, small fruit and a bug, surrounded by small heart and vine decorations.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Trypophobia’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on cotton, wool felt applique, bamboo hoop, 20cm diameter, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $330
A piece of artwork on felt of a pink tardigrade. The artwork is hanging from a branch by patterned material, and there are pompoms hanging off the branch and a piece of materials with 2 bells hanging under the felt piece.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Resilience - the Cult of Tardigrade’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on cotton, wool felt applique, fibre fill, yarn, and reclaimed wood, 32 x 20cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $380
A rustic green wooden frame with a piece of felt art in the middle of the frame showing a skull with mushrooms growing out of the skull which are raised from the felt so they emerge from the piece.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Life Cycles’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on cotton, wool felt and hand dyed cotton, fibre fill, yarn, and reclaimed wood, 50 x 45cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $880
A piece of artwork on material of anatomically correct overies made out of material with a doily in the centre that has the image of a iron on it. The felt is bordered by a bright material fram with birds and flowers on it.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘The Blessing and the Curse’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on wool felt, repurposed linen and cotton applique, yarn and reclaimed wood, 48 x 59cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $1100
A circle of material with embroidery of an eye that has a tear coming out of it as well as vines with flowers.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Eye of Mother Nature’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on hand dyed cotton, bamboo hoop, 23cm diameter, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $360
A piece of artwork on material showing a flower looking shape with a large yellow centre and green and red petals around it.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘The Inner Workings of the Azalea’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on hand dyed cotton, wool felt, yarn, fibre fill, and reclaimed wood, 35 x 40cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $570
A rustic red wooden frame with a piece of felt art suspended in the middle of the frame showing a heart with an eye in the centre and flame coming from the top.
Clara Batton Smith, ‘Sacred Heart’, 2022, hand embroidered floss on cotton and wool felt, yarn, and reclaimed wood, 33 x 48cm, image courtesy of the artist.
Price: $570

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