‘Silk Phantom’ (2024) depicts the tent-shaped webs of orb weavers, delicately hung within dense native bush. With careful inspection, viewers may be surprised to discover that the silhouette of a woman has been disguised within the spider silk!

The top-right web subtly implies the details of a nose, brow and cheeks, all facing down towards the Boronia blossoms as though to smell or inspect them. The centre-left web suggests the curvature of breasts, giving this ethereal figure a feminine appearance.

By painting spider silk in a way that resembles the disembodied essence of a woman, Senbruns reflects on personal experiences of womanhood within South East Queensland. These sparkling and intricate strands of web may be alluring, but simultaneously repelling through their association with spiders. For many of us, the notion of touching a web is an uncomfortable thought.

‘Silk Phantom’ may be interpreted as an emotional allegory for desire and fear, projected onto imagery of women’s bodies and the Australian landscape.

This painting was created as part of Senbruns’ second solo show ‘Intuition Whispers Again’ at Five Mile Radius in High Gate Hill, QLD. For more information about this exhibition, please click here.