Manyung Gallery Group: Objects of Desire, Objects of Necessity

Objects of Desire, Objects of Necessity is a visual duet by Corinne Lewis and Anne Smerdon at Manyung Gallery Malvern.

In this exhibition Anne Smerdon and Corinne Lewis present a duality of experience, contrasting what we long for (desire) and what we depend on (necessity), revealing how both shape our inner lives.

At first glance their subjects seem to occupy opposing ends of the spectrum — sensual women adorned with flowers and lace, contrasted with amber medicine bottles and common fruits. But beneath this surface lies a quieter undercurrent about the public and private rituals that shape our lives. The hidden aspects of our lives (such as intimacy and illness) are quietly carried while the public (beauty and vitality) are displayed or performed, often concurrently.

Corinne Lewis’s paintings revel in the lush textures of femininity — vintage lace, florals, and the curated pose of a women who is on display. Her work speaks to the allure of beauty, the construction of identity and the power held in aesthetic self-possession.

In contrast, Anne Smerdon’s contemplative still lives offer a private, more introspective narrative. Her compositions elevate the humble — empty medicine bottles, citrus and her two pet parrots who constantly interrupt her life. These works carry the emotional weight of necessity and speak of chronic illness, solitude and the rituals that sustain us.

Together, Smerdon and Lewis invite us to consider the dualities we live with: desire and necessity, indulgence and endurance. Their works ask what we reach for when no one is looking — what we adorn ourselves with, what we rely on and what we carry silently through our days.

Exhibition opens Thursday 23 October, 5pm, and closes Saturday 8 November.

Opening hours: 

Open Tuesday by appointment
Wednesday - Friday, 10am - 5pm
Saturday, 9am - 4pm

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