Holly Ahern is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and arts worker, living on Bundjalung country. She holds an Honours degree in Art and Design from Southern Cross University, with a focus on collaboration, experimentation, and contemporary installation. Her research explores regional witnessing and the potential of public spaces as sites for artistic intervention and community connection.
Holly’s career spans diverse fields, including design, project coordination, creative production and grant writing. She has developed and contributed to a range of projects, from large-scale public art installations and community initiatives. In 2023, she established an international residency program which focuses on the role of art in public spaces within post-disaster landscapes, building connections between the Northern Rivers and Ōtautahi, Chirstchurch.
Her practice is deeply connected to the ecology and communities of the Northern Rivers, addressing the region’s evolving needs while advocating for sustainable creative futures. As the region approaches the third anniversary of its major flooding events, Holly’s work continues to evolve with care and intention, prioritising thoughtful and deliberate responses to long-term recovery.
Through the lens of regional witnessing, her work invites audiences to experience public spaces with intention, offering authentic connections to material, time and place. By encouraging slower and more reflective engagement with the Northern Rivers, Holly amplifies the stories and identities that define its unique landscape and collective voice.
