The call of the ocean has long been a focus of Narelle Autio's work. Growing up in sunny Australia, she formed a lifelong relationship with the beach and remains fascinated by the need many of us feel to return to the water: a primordial need connecting us with our ancient ancestors and taking us back to where we came from. Her images delve into collective memories while also speaking to her own experiences.
 
Cinematic in nature and using the interplay of light and colour familiar throughout her work, she captures the complex relationship and drama of our love for the sea, and our willingness to risk our lives to enjoy it.
 
"The water at the end of the jetty is dark. It is deep. I dive into silence and cold. I breathe out what remains of my life and sink further into the darkness. Looking up, I watch air bubbles flee towards the light. Surrounded by unknown, unseen things, I wait. Wait and wait for the jumpers to disturb the stillness. My heart beats: get out, get out, get out of here."
 
"The water above me explodes with a shock. I love that moment of immersion when the sea first catches us. Wrapped in a shroud of bubbles and light, smothered by a cold, insistent watery embrace. There is a sublime moment of suspension, of complete isolation in a place between two worlds. We can live here, but not for long. The sea lets us in, but may not let us out." —Narelle Autio