Hidden in the Sands

Pixel Rathmell (TydleWaive) is a Queensland-based artist whose work explores the lived experience of mental health through bold colour, fluid movement, and expressive form. Transforming emotional intensity into something tangible, art has become both a coping mechanism and a way to regain control. Symbolic forms appear throughout her work, reflecting adaptability, sensitivity, and resilience. Pixel's practice invites connection; creating space for vulnerability and strength to coexist, and for complex inner experiences to be seen.

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This work explores camouflage as a strategy for survival. Through the form of the octopus, it reflects the instinct to adapt, conceal, and merge with one’s surroundings in response to overwhelming environments. Camouflage becomes both protection and constraint, holding a tension between visibility and safety. The shifting surface suggests a constant negotiation between being seen and remaining hidden, where survival is often found in disappearance.