Holometabolous

22nd July - 16th August 2026
Exhibit B
Bendigo Bank Central,
3 Mitchell Street, Bendigo

What’s it all about?
There is no term for the various stages a late-diagnosed autistic person goes through. So, I have decided to borrow one from the insects: holometabolous. Whilst we might not go through physical metamorphous, it certainly feels like one. There are four stages: existing, learning to mask, diagnosis time before reaching our final form: a post-diagnosis human who finally has an instruction manual for our brains. I accept I’m not qualified in any way, shape or form to declare these stages, and even more unqualified to decide if these stages really exist. I speak only for me, my brain, and the path my life has taken. 

"Holometabolous" is a collection of artwork that I created post my diagnosis for ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Inserting humour, metaphors and a light sprinkle of puns, these artworks were made as a way of processing information. There was a lot to process. I used a range of methods – but they all fell under the umbrella of photography. Some works I've printed in a darkroom, some have been turned into photo-etching prints, and some are digital prints. I class all of them as self-portraits in their own unique ways.