STA caught up with photographer Hamish Ta-mé in his kitchen to talk art and handmade jam. Hamish led the successful Ten Thousand Paces Gallery in Bowral for several years after a Country Arts Support Scheme (CASP) funding boost through STA. You can check out some of Hamish’s projects at his webpage or Instagram. 

Creativity is a subtle beast. At times in my creative life I haven’t been able to keep up with the torrent of ideas and possibilities. With an enforced break I thought I would be making madly. But no. Every conventional creative process has felt heavy and forced. I have been offered shows of past work and I can’t even get the energy to pull those together. So I decided not to force it. A few months ago I ran out of good marmalade so with a day of lockdown ahead of me I bought some fruit, found my old jam pans and recipes and made a few jars. This led to a few more. and then a friend asked if she could swap a jar for a loaf of iso sourdough. Then another friend offered me fruit from her tree. And now I make jam. It is a lovely meditation on the seasons, preserving fruit is a radical act of hope and ambition for the future. And, like an exhibition, I show my work, and people are kind enough to buy it. 

Follow Hamish at his Bowral Jam Instagram for more delicious looking treats.  Contact him via direct message for sales enquiries.