_Compartment_

20 Artists + 20 Discarded drawers.
Exhibition curated by @leigh.secretagent and @misch_aart222

A wooden display with white text advertising an art exhibition at Goodspace Gallery Chippendale on Wednesday, June 5, from 5pm to 9pm, supported by Goodspace Gallery, Lord Gladstone, and Young Henrys, with a background of yellow tiled wall.

Title

Infinity Drawer 


A wooden enclosed diorama with moss, small trees, and tiny structures inside, with a glass or acrylic pane in front.

Statement

In our lives, a drawer is a place to keep, save, or hide things. For someone like me, who migrated from Chile, the concept of a singular, permanent drawer doesn’t exist. Every place I’ve called home has been temporary, and every drawer I’ve had has eventually been emptied. This transient existence poses a profound question: where do I keep, save, and hide the things that matter?

I have become the keeper of the things a drawer cannot hold, save, or hide. My sculpture explores and represents this idea, inviting you to become the keeper, the protagonist.
From the outside, you can see your shadow and the repetition of what the drawer is holding. From the inside, you see your reflection, making you the protagonist and giant in a landscape with houses that migrate.
This work challenges you to consider your own inner drawer and the boundless, intangible space where your most important experiences and memories reside.


A person opening a wooden box with mirrors and miniature trees inside.
A miniature landscape scene inside a wooden box, featuring moss-covered hills with small white house structures on thin wire legs, rocks, and a white background.
Miniature scene of houses on stilts on a hillside inside a glass display case, illuminated from above, with a dark background.
Miniature wooden houses with black roofs on thin metal wires, set among green moss and rocks in a dark, forest-like scene.

Photographer: @makingartsozmum

Miniature wooden house models with wire legs, placed on moss, with a dark background.

Creative Process

It all began in March 2024, when I was invited to participate with the simple prompt: to let creativity flow using a discarded drawer. Each artist selected their own unique piece, and the moment I saw mine, I knew it was the one.

The drawer had a worn, dark wood surface with irregularities that immediately drew me in. Its imperfections—like the missing handle, a small hole in the corner, and its deeply textured wood—gave it a story and character I felt connected to. But it was the sliding bottom piece, moving smoothly in and out, that truly captured my heart. This small feature unlocked a world of ideas, setting the foundation for what would become a layered, intimate piece. I knew this drawer had a past, and I was excited to give it new life through this project.

A vertical, rectangular, dark brown wooden object with a round protrusion in the middle, set against a white background.

I began reflecting on the purpose of a drawer—what it’s made for and the many ways it’s used to store, collect, and organize. This led me to think about my own experiences. Since I’m not originally from Australia, I haven’t been able to settle in one place due to my visa circumstances. Even when I’ve stayed somewhere for a longer period, it has always felt temporary, as if I were only a visitor. This project became an exploration of that feeling—of what it means to be in transition, to hold parts of yourself in one place but never fully settle. Through this piece, I aimed to capture the tension between permanence and impermanence, the sense of belonging while always being ready to move on.

Close-up of a vintage, round brass doorknob on a wooden door with a dark finish.
Sketch of a mirror with a wooden frame, a sliding mirrored glass panel, and handwritten notes labeling parts including a light at the top, a mirror in the middle, and an interactive slide mirror to the left, with a drawing of mountains and houses.
An open, empty wooden drawer with a metal handle on the left side.
Close-up of the corner of a wooden box showing the interior and the outside edge.

I began reflecting on the purpose of a drawer—what it’s made for and the many ways it’s used to store, collect, and organize. This led me to think about my own experiences. Since I’m not originally from Australia, I haven’t been able to settle in one place due to my visa circumstances. Even when I’ve stayed somewhere for a longer period, it has always felt temporary, as if I were only a visitor. This project became an exploration of that feeling—of what it means to be in transition, to hold parts of yourself in one place but never fully settle. Through this piece, I aimed to capture the tension between permanence and impermanence, the sense of belonging while always being ready to move on.

I began reflecting on the purpose of a drawer—what it’s made for and the many ways it’s used to store, collect, and organize. This led me to think about my own experiences. Since I’m not originally from Australia, I haven’t been able to settle in one place due to my visa circumstances. Even when I’ve stayed somewhere for a longer period, it has always felt temporary, as if I were only a visitor. This project became an exploration of that feeling—of what it means to be in transition, to hold parts of yourself in one place but never fully settle. Through this piece, I aimed to capture the tension between permanence and impermanence, the sense of belonging while always being ready to move on.