February 5, 2025
Ruth Ellington – the artist featured this month at the Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery – may be a newcomer to Kingaroy but she has a long history with the South Burnett.
Ruth moved to Kingaroy 18 months ago to take up a position as an arts teacher at St John’s Lutheran School, however she grew up in Murgon and comes from a well-known local family.
Her parents are Cynthia and Rodney Hatchett, who are not only Murgon icons but also helped with preparing the exhibition.
“The Tulip Project” is Ruth’s first exhibition in Kingaroy but she has previously shown her works at galleries in Biloela and Caboolture.
There are about 45 multimedia works in the three gallery spaces, covering the full breadth of Ruth’s career over the past 30 years, including pieces from her uni days.
One of her specialities is making installations using hand-made Kanzashi flowers.
These are a traditional Japanese craft which are then decorated with buttons or beads.
A stunning work on the back wall of the Kingaroy Gallery is “Fleur de Coeur”, a giant heart made from small Kanzashi flowers, including a very special one … a small yellow piece made by Ruth’s grandmother, Maud Hatchett, who has just turned 103!
“It is very special to have an exhibition in my own region and very humbling,” Ruth told the opening night crowd on Saturday.
She said the theme of the exhibition was “Love, Loss and Life”, with one of the pieces dedicated to her uncle, who died recently.
Other works were about her life, travels and adventures as a teacher.
The exhibition will remain on display at the Kingaroy Gallery until February 28.
Entrance is free but the gallery is closed on Sundays.
