“What Shanay puts into her art, and what she leaves out, speaks volumes in almost a game of cat and mouse. The viewer’s mind is left wondering what the question was to begin with and a certain amount of self-reflection can be felt while gazing upon the carefully constructed artworks. And it is at this moment that you might find yourself catching a breath, mid-sentence.”
- April Spadina, 2022 Alive Magazine
Disco
Disco is a playful series about nostalgia, celebration, and finding joy in life’s small rituals. Each artwork transforms everyday moments into sparkling scenes of retro glamour, capturing the rhythm, colour, and energy of the disco era. The series invites viewers to find moments in their day that make life like a disco.
Light source, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection.
The next morning, 2025
20.5 x 20.5cm
colour pencil on wood
The to-do list, 2025
20.5 x 20.5cm
colour pencil on wood
How to love a difficult man, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
The swing, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
The pause between tracks, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Up to something, 2025
20.5 x 20.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Don’t stop, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Stargazing
Stargazing is a whimsical series about daydreaming and escaping to distant worlds. Each artwork takes the ordinary to the extraordinary, capturing quiet moments of looking beyond the stars. The series invites viewers to embrace life beyond the familiar routine and imagine new possibilities.
Stargazing, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Stargazing II, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Stargazing IV, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Stargazing III, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Stargazing V, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Rituals
Rituals explores the nuances of daily life, examining my environment at different times of the day. The series captures intimate moments of routine, reflecting on the transitions between work, rest, and everything in between. It invites viewers to consider the significance of the small, often overlooked rituals that make up our daily existence.
5 o’clock, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
6pm, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Submerged
Submerged is an introspective series that examines multitasking and avoiding decision-making. Through surreal and unexpected imagery, the works imply the weight of water as a symbol of escaping the pressures of daily responsibilities and choices.
Submerged, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Submerged II, 2025
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Select works
Thinking, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Golden nectar, 2024
20 x 20cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Boxed in, 2024
30.5 x 30.5cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Butterfly kiss, 2025
20 x 20cm
colour pencil on wood
Held in private collection
Composition without red, 2023 42 x 30cm pencil, colour pencil on paper
Breath of fresh air, 2023 42 x 30cm pencil, colour pencil on paper
Consume, 2023 42 x 30cm pencil, colour pencil on paper
I am, 2023 42 x 30cm pencil, colour pencil on paper
These shoes weren't made for walkin', 2023 42 x 29.7cm pencil on paper
I need coffee, 2022 42 x 29.7cm pencil, pen on paper
Sore throat, 2022 29.7 x 21cm pen on paper Held in private collection
The first step doesn't have to be perfect, 2022 29.7 x 21cm pen, colour pencil on paper Held in private collection
Dancing in the dark, 2022 29.7 x 21cm pen on paper
"Everywhere and Nowhere” (2023) is a portrait of Craig 'Macca' McGowan, the beloved host of Channel 10's 'What's Up Down Under' travel show. Inspired by Craig's adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity, I meticulously captured his essence and love for exploration through realistic attention to detail. The painting's title speaks to the tension between presence and absence that Craig experiences as a traveller. Although he physically travels to different places, his true essence and spirit remain intangible, always on the border of our comprehension.
Everywhere and nowhere, 2023
94 x 124 x 5cm
acrylic on canvas
Flamingos, 2018
Exterior paint on wall
Private commission
Whipcracker, 2018
Exterior paint on brick
Bazaar Street, Maryborough, QLD
Gift of the artist as part of
Maryborough Mural Trail