BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//GayOut//Event Export//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:130597@gayout.com DTSTAMP:20260722T141409Z DTSTART:20260729T100000Z DTEND:20260809T170000Z SUMMARY:Hey Kitty! DESCRIPTION:In January 2026\\, my life changed in an instant after a seri ous spinal accident. For weeks I lay motionless in a hospital bed\\, unce rtain whether I would ever be able to make sculptures again. During that time my mind wandered through memories\\, gratitude\\, disappointment\\, hope\\, and the people who shaped my life. I thought about those who let me down\\, but even more importantly\\, I reflected on the kindness of th e people who stood beside me—especially one remarkable person\\, Nicole - whose support helped me through my darkest days.\\nI also found myself thinking about animals and the comfort they have always brought me. Cats kept appearing in my thoughts—their incredible resilience\\, their quie t ability to comfort without asking for anything in return\\, their cheek y personalities\\, gentle purrs\\, tiny paws and magnificent whiskers. Th ere is something wonderfully healing about cats\\, and somewhere during t hose long weeks I even started thinking that perhaps it was time to welco me one back into my life.\\nWhen I was finally given permission to return to sculpting again\\, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Cats. Every sculpture in Hey Kitty was created as part of my recovery. Each piece bec ame a small celebration of healing\\, resilience\\, hope\\, and the privi lege of being able to create again.\\nThe title of this exhibition carrie s its own special meaning. Hey Kitty isn’\\;t just a nod to my felin e subjects—it is also deeply personal. “\\;Kitty”\\; was the nickname my big sister Jill gave me when we were children\\, and she call ed me that throughout her life. Since losing her suddenly five years ago\ \, hearing those words has become one of my most treasured memories of he r. Naming this exhibition Hey Kitty is a small way of honouring that conn ection while celebrating the joy\\, resilience and comfort that inspired these sculptures.\\nThe exhibition will run with International Cat Day on 8 August\\, this exhibition celebrates not only our fascination with the se remarkable creatures\\, but also the strength we discover in ourselves through life’\\;s unexpected challenges.\\nhttps://www.gayout.com/a sia-aus/australia/melbourne/events/hey-kitty--2026-07-29 LOCATION:Victorian Pride Centre URL:https://www.gayout.com/asia-aus/australia/melbourne/events/hey-kitty--2026-07-29 STATUS:CONFIRMED END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR