Artist Mat Heaney will unveil his latest exhibition, Agony, at SEVENMARKS Gallery in Kiama starting this Saturday - and he’s the first to admit the title might feel intense.

“You call a show Agony and people are going to think, ‘This guy’s just a total nihilist,’” says Mat.

“But I think it’s more realistic than nihilistic. Life does have its agonies - the existential questions of why we’re here, why we’re in these bodies. I find those topics interesting.”

Despite the heavy title, Mat says the works are not just about darkness, but also the beauty and hope that can emerge from it.

“There’s hope in it as well. It gives me a reason to keep going, especially when there’s so much heaviness in the world - politically, and in people’s minds. I can’t really shy away from that. But I’m not trying to dwell on it or make it negative - I want to find the beauty that can still be found.”

Agony features nine paintings unified by a thematic thread inspired by the biblical story of Christ’s anguish before his crucifixion.

“I think the best paintings explore the human condition. I wanted to reflect on life and where it’s heading - our eventual death.

"That Christian myth of ‘agony in the garden’ just felt like a distilled version of what we all go through. Every day, we wrestle with life and death, and the small agonies that come with being human.”

The works themselves are dreamlike, existing in the liminal space between memory and imagination, fact and fiction, consciousness and the subconscious.

“Life is kind of like that - a bit of an illusion,” says Mat. “I love how painting lets you tap into the dream side of life, your subconscious world. I think when you engage with those realms, you gain a deeper understanding of the world and what’s happening around you.”

Walking through the two connected rooms at SEVENMARKS, the paintings feel like scenes from a film - each work a chapter that builds on the last. Together, they explore recurring themes and invite viewers into a contemplative journey.

Three of the paintings revolve around a recurring abstract figure. One features birds. Two portray gardens dissolving into darkness. Another, titled Absinthe, is an intense green screen that could be seen as a kind of visual reset - cleansing the viewer’s palette before starting the journey again.

And because most of the works are abstracts and unclear, you can see it however you’d like - Mat invites all interpretations to his work.

“You can lay on top what you want. I wanted to empty out the image - get rid of the image - so you could just sort of walk into it and contemplate whatever image you wanted,” says Mat.

Agony runs from 24 May to 28 June at SEVENMARKS Gallery, Kiama.

Mat Heaney will be present on opening night, offering visitors a chance to engage with the artist and his process. Head down to one of Kiama’s most thought-provoking and visually striking venues to experience this moving body of work.