KALAMUNDA’s Zig Zag Gallery will be exhibiting the works of family duo Sarah Eve and her uncle Vic Bullo early next month, in a unique collaboration that reflects their shared love for nature and artistic expression.

Ms Eve said the title of the exhibition, Real/Imagined, came from the contrast between her and Mr Bullo’s approach to painting.

“I paint real landscapes, places I’ve visited, mostly around Western Australia,” she said.

“Even though the locations I paint are real, I use abstract elements, bold colours and layered textures to bring them to life.

“While they’re grounded in reality, they often appear quite interpretive.”

She said Mr Bullo painted entirely from his imagination.

“His landscapes aren’t tied to a physical place, but they feel deeply familiar and sometimes dreamlike,” Ms Eve said.

“His approach to painting is intuitive and responsive to the canvas, shaped by an inner sense of landscape that he’s developed over years of travel and reflection.”

Ms Eve hoped the contrast between the two approaches would invite people to ask: what is real, and what is imagined?

During the pandemic, Mr Bullo said he finally had the time and mental space to explore painting more seriously.

He said the idea of painting lingered in the back of his mind, and he often told his wife he would give it a go one day.

“Then about five years ago, during a sale at a local store, she gave me the nudge I needed,” he said.

“She encouraged me to buy some supplies, an easel, paints and a few canvases.”

Mr Bullo said it took him three weeks to put paint to canvas.

“Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to just go for it,” he said.

“That small success gave me the confidence to keep experimenting and I haven’t stopped since.

“I love the experimentation, the freedom to transform a canvas into something completely unexpected.

“Living in the Perth Hills, I’m constantly inspired by the natural world.”

Ms Eve said seeing her uncle throw himself into his painting journey inspired her to do the same.

“As any art teacher knows, you give away a lot of your creative energy in the classroom,” she said.

“Something shifted in my process and my mindset, and for the first time, those vivid, dream-like landscapes I’d carried in my imagination began appearing on the canvas.”

Ms Eve said working on this exhibition with her uncle has created a meaningful bond between them.

“We’ve always connected over art, whether it was visiting galleries together or discussing our latest projects,” she said.

“But now being able to exhibit side by side is something I’ll always cherish.”

Ms Eve said this project had become a family effort, with cousins and aunts who also contributed in different ways.

“This show is a celebration of that creative bond, and a moment in time we’ll all remember,” Ms Eve said.

Opening night is scheduled on Friday, May 9, from 6pm to 8.30pm, and the exhibition is open until Monday, June 2.