In the Company of Small Things
New exhibitions invite audiences to slow down and look closer at Buda
Buda Historic Home and Garden invites visitors to pause, look closely and rediscover the beauty of detail with In the Company of Small Things — a series of intimate exhibitions and installations that celebrate observation, craft and quiet wonder.
Featuring new works by local artists Dianne Longley and Clayton Tremlett, the project re-imagines Buda’s historic house and garden through contemporary eyes, revealing fresh stories hidden within familiar spaces.
Master printmaker Dianne Longley, based in Trentham, is renowned for her complex, carefully balanced compositions that weave together cultural histories and diverse artistic techniques. Her intricately designed works unfold from a house exhibition grounded in Buda’s architecture and collection, then extend gently into the garden itself. Two accompanying workshops will invite families and community members to draw inspiration from Longley’s practice and create their own thoughtful interpretations.
Castlemaine printmaker and painter Clayton Tremlett brings a bold and playful energy to the historic Garden Pavilion. Known for his deeply researched practice and distinctive linocut portraiture, Tremlett re-imagines old family portraits in vivid colour. His work — spanning wallpapers, artist’s books, collector cards and editioned prints — offers a contemporary lens on Australian history. A hands-on workshop will give participants the chance to create their own historically referenced works.
Alongside the artists’ installations, Buda’s Curators will unveil unexpected treasures from the site’s collection. Nineteenth-century botanical specimens, nature studies, sketchbooks and delicately crafted, flora-inspired objects made by the Leviny family will form a series of small but powerful encounters. These will be experienced through exhibitions, interpretive garden panels, treasure hunts and nature journaling workshops.
Together, the project honours the craft, care and attention to detail that define both Buda and the distinct practices of each artist. Each work gently asks what we overlook in everyday life — and how wonder so often hides in plain sight.
In the Company of Small Things is a quiet act of reverence: for history, for creative spirit, and for the tiny gestures that connect us to place, past and imagination.
