where the lilies grow

Olivia Stone Long’s practice explores the emotional and psychological resonance of place and its influence on personal and collective memory. Drawing from her experiences growing up in Bermuda, studying in London, and living in Australia, she creates paintings that navigate the space between internal and external landscapes. Inspired by childhood memories, dreams, folklore, and poetry, her work examines how identity is shaped by the environments we inhabit and remember.

Working from sketches, photographs, and collages, Long constructs layered compositions that merge multiple landscapes into a single imagined terrain. Through vibrant color, displacement, and the slow application and removal of oil paint, she reveals fragmented traces of earlier layers, creating works that function as both physical and metaphorical excavations of time, history, and memory. The resulting paintings move beyond a specific sense of place, inviting viewers into a deeply emotional and contemplative experience.