Zoe Willey

Local Contemporary Art Prize 2025 – Finalist

Image courtesy of the artist

Zoe Willey | 1960-2024 (Beach House No.7) | 2025 | oil on birch panel | 53 x 43cm (framed)

The house depicted in this painting no longer exists, lost to time and ‘progress’. It is not alone in its fate, as historic beach shacks (sitting on prime coastal land) continue to be bought up only to face rapid demolition. A few may be spared and afforded a sympathetic renovation, but most are quickly replaced by large modern houses. Although controversial due to the harmful materials often used in their construction, these humble shacks are an important part of the Sunshine Coast’s cultural history, representing a nostalgic notion of simpler times and a quintessential way of laid-back Australian life. This painting belongs to an ongoing body of work, where it is the artist’s hope to document and capture the character of these unique homes before they disappear entirely.