ARTCLUB is back, and this year’s exhibition is anything but ordinary. MIRAGE is less of a show you walk through and more of a world you step into — one that shifts, surprises, and feels alive.

Curated by ARTCLUB’s founder, Claudia Lowe, MIRAGE unites the visions of three extraordinary artists: Tom Butterworth, Studio Lauren Flora, and Emily Handlin. On from 3–9 September at The Art Department, Woolloomooloo, the artists will be working across diverse mediums, conjuring sculptural florals, stone vessels that reimagine our relationship to nature, and luminous desert-inspired paintings.

But before the doors open later this week, we sat down with the artists to chat about their inspirations, what drives their work, and how they’ve helped turn MIRAGE into the immersive experience it is.

What drew you to the MIRAGE exhibition?

Mirage felt like an opportunity to build something that sits between landscape and imagination. The exhibition allowed us to explore native florals in a way that felt sculptural, reflective and almost dreamlike — a space you don’t just see, but feel.

How did you approach your work for this show?

I wanted the florals to feel suspended in time — lightweight, atmospheric, and deeply textural. Working alongside stone and painted works pushed me to create shapes that felt in dialogue with the other artists. Every stem, every cluster had to contribute to the environment, not just sit inside it.

What themes were important to you throughout the process?

Movement, emotion, and the relationship between place and form. I’m always chasing that feeling of inevitable flow — where the flowers look like they’ve grown into the space rather than been placed there. Mirage’s desert-inspired palette and reflective surfaces helped shape the entire composition.

What do you hope visitors experience when they enter MIRAGE?

A sense of calm, curiosity, and immersion. I want people to feel held by the space — to notice the softness, the stillness, the symbolism. Mirage invites you to slow down and notice the details. That’s where the meaning really lives.