Byron Spaces Gallery is a cultural space located within the Byron Community Centre, in the heart of town. Launched as part of the Centre’s 130 Years of Community Spirit celebrations in 2025, it continues a long legacy of creativity and connection.

More than a traditional gallery, Byron Spaces Gallery is a free and accessible space designed to support local artists, including those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to exhibit their work. Open to the public at no cost, it provides a welcoming environment where creativity can be shared and experienced by all.

The light filled upstairs gallery and adjoining foyers create an open and inviting setting, where art and community come together in a natural and meaningful way.

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Ocean Magic is a new ocean-inspired series by local artist Yvonne Fenech, capturing the movement, light and energy of the sea through an immersive underwater lens. A surfer and swimmer since her youth, Fenech has long been drawn to the ever-changing nature of the ocean, from the way light reflects off a turning wave to the shifting colours and forms that emerge beneath the surface.

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Her work is deeply influenced by decades living in Byron Shire, where early experiences surfing at Broken Head continue to shape how she sees and paints the ocean today. The deep blues, turquoise tones and raw power of waves breaking over rocks are reflected throughout the series, alongside quieter moments that reveal the fluid beauty of water in motion.

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Presented at Byron Spaces Gallery, this winter exhibition also carries a sense of nostalgia for Byron’s earlier days, when life centred around creativity, connection and a nature-led lifestyle. Through Ocean Magic, Fenech invites audiences to pause, reconnect and experience a sense of natural beauty, joy and emotional connection.

Ocean Magic opens to the public from Monday 8 June through to August at Byron Spaces Gallery, Byron Community Centre, and is free to view weekdays from 10am to 4pm.

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Yvonne Fenech’s Ocean Magic series explores the movement, light and shifting energy of the ocean through an immersive underwater lens. Her paintings capture both the power and fluidity of the sea, from the intensity of a breaking wave to the quiet, suspended moments beneath the surface.

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Working with layered colour and form, Fenech reflects the deep blues and turquoise tones of the Byron coastline, alongside the ever-changing patterns created by light moving through water. The result is a body of work that feels both dynamic and meditative, inviting viewers to experience the ocean not just as a landscape, but as a living, moving presence.

“The ocean continues to inspire me through its energy, movement and light. From the shifting colours of each season to the forms that emerge beneath the surface, there is always something new to experience.”

For Yvonne Fenech, the ocean is not just a subject, but a lifelong source of inspiration and connection. A surfer and swimmer since her youth, she has spent decades observing the way water moves, how light shifts across a turning wave and the energy that builds beneath the surface. These moments, both powerful and subtle, continue to inform the way she sees, experiences and translates the ocean onto canvas.

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Her work is shaped by these lived experiences, capturing both the power and fluidity of the sea. From the deep blues and turquoise tones of the Byron coastline to the ever-changing forms that emerge in moving water, each piece reflects a personal response to the ocean’s rhythm and presence.

“The ocean continues to inspire me through its energy, movement and light. From the shifting colours of each season to the forms that emerge beneath the surface, there is always something new to experience.”

The Byron Community Centre welcomes applications from local artists interested in holding a free community exhibition at Byron Spaces Gallery. This program is designed to support and celebrate the creative talent of our region, offering artists complimentary use of the upstairs Wategos Room and adjoining foyer spaces. The gallery provides a light-filled and professional environment, right in the heart of Byron Bay, where artists can share their work with the community at no cost.

Seasonal exhibitions run for up to three months, with artists encouraged to host their own opening events. Exhibitors are responsible for hanging, insurance and promotion, while the Centre provides the venue, visibility and community support, helping local creativity thrive in an accessible and inclusive space.

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