Reef-inspired artwork nets top honour for CQUniversity PhD candidate
A fascination with one of the Great Barrier Reef's most colourful residents has earned CQUniversity PhD candidate Michelle Brayshaw the top award at the Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition in Airlie Beach.
The Cairns-based visual art teacher and researcher was awarded Best in Show for her striking photographic montage that documents the remarkable colour-changing abilities of the Chameleon Parrotfish (Scarus chameleon).
The acquisitive award, presented by Whitsunday Regional Council, includes a $3,000 prize and recognises the outstanding artistic and cultural contribution of the winning work.
As a Visual Art teacher and Head of Department, The Arts, at a private college in Cairns, Michelle is also pursuing a PhD through CQUniversity, where her research explores both the slow and rapid colour changes of parrotfish species on the Great Barrier Reef.
The award-winning work, Beauty is Skin Deep, captures a fast physiological colour change, a process that can occur within seconds in response to hormones, communication signals, camouflage and mood. A second artwork, Reflections, was also awarded Highly Commended for its depiction of the Greensnout parrotfish (Scarus spinus) and Japanese parrotfish’s (Chlorurus japanensis) colours changing due to light dynamics.
Through layered photography, the pieces freeze an otherwise fleeting transformation, allowing audiences to appreciate the complexity and beauty of reef life.
Michelle said the artworks were the culmination of years of underwater observation and creative exploration.
"I have spent more than 250 hours underwater documenting parrotfish colour changes, and I have observed some extraordinary things," she said.
"Parrotfish are truly colour-changing magicians.
"The work is important for future research into bio-photonics and fish behaviour, but it is also important because it combines science and visual art to enhance audience understanding and appreciation of these changes.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire process of bringing scientific research and visual art together. I think it has been the most fulfilling piece of my career so far."
Michelle said receiving the exhibition's highest honour came as a complete surprise.
"I was pretty nervous at the awards night, and receiving a Highly Commended award for Reflections, was already exciting," she said.
"However, when they read out my name and Beauty is Skin Deep as the overall winner, I was just thrilled.
"I think I even had a little cry. It was very humbling."
Michelle’s Principal Supervisor, Dr Ashley Holmes, said the award recognised both the quality of Michelle's artistic practice and the significance of her research.
"Michelle's work demonstrates how creative practice can help communicate complex scientific concepts in engaging and accessible ways," he said.
"Her research provides valuable insights into parrotfish behaviour while also encouraging a deeper appreciation of the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef."
Measuring 125cm by 40cm and printed on metal, the winning artwork, Beauty is Skin Deep, depicts multiple stages of colour transformation layered into a single image, revealing a phenomenon rarely witnessed in such detail.
The works form part of Michelle's broader doctoral research investigating the colour-changing characteristics of parrotfish and the potential applications of these observations in fields including fish behaviour and bio-photonics.
