The vibrant, abundant and joyful exhibition Fantastic Forms, celebrating the creativity of the human imagination through drawing, ceramics, sculpture and animation, will be on show at David Roche Gallery from February 17 to May 9, 2026.
Featuring more than 200 drawings and ceramics from the Bundanon Collection (NSW), Fantastic Forms captures the energy, movement and colour in the expansive creative practice of Merric Boyd (1888-1959) in dialogue with three very different practices by living Australian artists – Rubyrose Bancroft, Stephen Benwell and Nabilah Nordin.
Curated by Sophie O’Brien and Boe-lin Bastian, Fantastic Forms is mid-way through its 2025–2028 national tour.
David Roche Gallery Director Robert Reason says the team is honoured to bring this exhibition to the state for its only South Australian appearance.
“The exhibition’s seamless blend of traditional disciplines—like sculpture and ceramics—with animation and drawing is inspiring. The artistic lineage of the Boyd family is widely celebrated as is Merric Boyd’s pioneering role as Australia’s first studio potter. To see so many of his drawings, however, is a rare and captivating privilege, an insight into Boyd’s creative process. Together with his ceramics, the drawings have made a deep impression on the work of three selected contemporary artists. I can’t wait for our visitors to immerse themselves in such a rich variety of artistic expressions,” he says.
Bundanon CEO Rachel Kent says: “We are delighted to celebrate Arthur Boyd’s vision in presenting this national touring exhibition, which features his father’s works alongside new commissions from three contemporary artists at differing stages of their careers. Sharing this dialogue with audiences across Australia is especially meaningful, as it reflects Boyd’s deep commitment to connecting audiences to the work of living artists.”
Fantastic Forms expands from Merric Boyd’s well-known ceramic work into his energetic and playful drawing practice from the 1940s and 50s, all of which were underpinned by the spiritual philosophy of love and connection that ran through his work and family life. A cornerstone of the Bundanon Collection, Merric Boyd’s artwork reflects the strong influence he had on his son Arthur, both as an artist and as someone committed to a deeply creative life.
Singaporean/Australian artist Nabilah Nordin draws inspiration from Boyd’s idiosyncratic, whimsical drawings with her three large-scale sculptural forms that playfully experiment with exaggerated dimensions and makeshift construction. Like Boyd, Nordin’s practice is inventive, encompassing aspects of everyday life from cooking and socialising to interior decoration. Her work in Fantastic Forms explores the concealment and exposure of found objects, transformed with epoxy resin and painted in neon hues.
Stephen Benwell’s series of 28 exquisite figures in glazed ceramic are, by contrast, studiously worked and intimate in scale. Shaping, firing, painting and re-painting his figures over months at a time, Benwell’s attention to detail manifests as a form of love for these gentle human forms. Presented alongside carefully selected drawings by Merric Boyd, Benwell’s work in the exhibition is the most substantial showing of the artist’s delicate figures to date.
Two claymation videos by Bundjalung artist Rubyrose Bancroft capture the fun of working with malleable materials in real time. In each video, creatures and characters are formed from Plasticine and burst forth to beat-driven electronic music. The 7 Deadly Sins explores a sense of escapism in a humorous retelling of early religious narratives, while Mud captures the creation and explosion of organic material from the earth.
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What: Fantastic Forms. Merric Boyd with Rubyrose Bancroft, Stephen Benwell, Nabilah Nordin
Where: David Roche Gallery, 241 Melbourne St, North Adelaide
When: Tuesday February 17—Saturday May 9—open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm (closed Sundays, Mondays, Public Holidays)
Cost: Adult $12 | Concession $10 | DRG Member $9 | Children U12 Free
David Roche Gallery Fermoy House tours: 10am, 12noon, 2pm (must be prebooked online)
Cost: Adult: $20 | Concession $17 (includes entry to Fantastic Forms)
For more information and events, visit rochegallery.com.au
Media contact: Natalie Farinola | 0401 308 328 | natalie@jpmedia.com.au