Robyn Sweaney Mullum magic

Four-time Wynne finalist Robyn Sweaney was attracted to this house by its symmetrical facade, which has remained unaltered for decades. Although the lives of those inside have surely changed over this period, she observes, the home itself represents a compelling sense of continuity.

A long-time resident of Mullumbimby in northern NSW, Sweaney experienced the 2022 floods that submerged parts of the town and displaced its residents. This painting conveys a soothing measure of domestic order and security, yet Sweaney notes that the shadow of change is nevertheless present: ‘within this fleeting moment of peace and stillness there is that edge suggesting it is merely an illusion – a stage set to an ongoing story’.