Show Off art exhibition21MARCH2026
We’re all familiar with the distinct artforms of portrait photography and underwater photography – talented Coolbellup artist Jasmine Skye deftly combines both, with captivating results.
Art lovers will have a chance to see the multi award winning creative’s work at the 2026 Show Off art exhibition, 21-29 March at Memorial Hall in Hamilton Hill.
Jasmine Skye is among a crop of new exhibitors to feature at the annual showcase, which this year celebrates its 21st outing since the inaugural event launched to shine a light on Cockburn’s thriving visual arts community in 2003.
Two underwater portraits created for Jasmine’s 2023 Underneath solo exhibition will join the artwork of more than 100 fellow Cockburn artists, 25 of whom will be first time Show Off exhibitors.
A paediatric nurse by profession, Jasmine picked up a camera for the first time when her now 15-year-old son was an infant, wanting to capture those special babyhood moments before they passed her by.
She immediately “fell down a rabbit hole” becoming obsessed with perfecting the artform, establishing a maternity, newborn and family portrait photography business just two years later.
Fast forward to 2016 when a life crisis threatened artistic burnout, but rather than crumble, Jasmine’s instinct led her to find a way to reignite her creativity.
“I was searching for something to bring the spark back and I’d seen a photo taken underwater,” Jasmine said.
“My best friend was pregnant at the time and I asked if I could take some photos of her in the river near where we grew up.
“It was the most challenging photo shoot I had ever done. I knew immediately I had to explore it more because the process and the results were so dynamic and dramatic. It was like Christmas, I didn’t know what I was going to get from one shoot to the next.”
It took a few years for Jasmine to test the unusual photography style but her unique creative expression has since become her passion and an entrancing element to her successful photography venture.
Her Underneath exhibition finally gave the photographer ‘permission’ to see herself as a legitimate artist. She photographed 63 women at volunteer underwater modelling shoots over 12 months to produce her inaugural solo showcase which was also captured in a self-published large format photography book.
“Until that time I’d seen myself as a domestic producer of photography. Creating the exhibition allowed me to make all the decisions about what my photographs looked like, I was the client,” she said.
“The backbone of portrait photography is to flatter the subject but I was able to take that pressure away and explore my own creative voice. That’s when I finally felt I could call myself an artist.”
City of Cockburn Art and Culture Coordinator Cassandra Cooper said Cockburn’s arts community continued to go from strength to strength.
“The City is proud to support our artists across all genres in all stages of their artistic journey,” Ms Cooper said.
“Being able to support our visual artists in a free exhibition is immensely rewarding. I know the growing cohort of arts supporters in the community will be delighted and inspired by this year’s exhibition.”
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said he had been privileged to attend all 21 Show Off exhibitions, with 2026 signalling his 17th year of attendance as Mayor.
“My wife Pat and I are enthusiastic art appreciators and love this annual opportunity to see the creativity that Cockburn is becoming well known for. And it gives us a chance to purchase something for our own collection,” Mayor Howlett said.
Well-known names among Show Off’s regular exhibitors returning in 2026 include Sharyn Egan, Larry Mitchell, Trevor Vickers, George Haynes, Jane Martin, Neta Knapp, Greg Baker, Megan Kirwan Ward, Debbie Walker Tremlett, Margaret Coxall and Miles Carpenter.
Find out more about Show Off 2026 on the City’s
website.