My First Exhibition

It came as a big surprise to me when the founder of Coco Parlé Hair Gallery, Corine Faulkner, asked if I wanted to have my first exhibition at her wonderful salon space in Gosford, NSW. Coco Parlé is a creative space where great hair meets incredible art. The heritage-listed salon flooded with natural light transforms into a vibrant art venue, featuring a changing array of artists from both local and out-of-state every few months.

Artist Jasmine Forcadilla on her exhibition opening night at Coco Parlé Hair Gallery in Gosford.

I am filled with a mix of excitement, gratitude, and a sense of accomplishment. Hosting my debut exhibition at Coco Parlé was a dream come true and the catalyst for a momentum swing of exposure as an emerging artist.

It all came about quite organically. Corine and I had been connected by a mutual friend prior to the opening of Coco Parlé in 2021 as she was after someone to assist with her marketing. At the time, I was playing professional basketball up on the Sunshine Coast, painting commissions and doing some freelance marketing for a handful of clients. Corine’s vision of merging hair and art resonated with me so it was a welcomed collaboration.

If I’m to be completely transparent, overcoming the imposter syndrome was tough. I delayed actually painting for the exhibition because I was questioning my abilities as an artist. It wasn’t until about 8 weeks leading up to the exhibition that I had to paint like a mad-woman to make up for lost time.

The craziest part of it all was that I ended up selling 8 of 11 paintings at the exhibition. I was (and still am) bewildered that a random person wanted my work in their home, especially as I didn’t really have a name behind me as an artist. It was the exact confidence boost I needed.

I can never thank Corine enough for giving me a platform. And I absolutely adore attending all of her exhibition openings as I have had the opportunity to connect with a handful of incredibly talented artists and if you know me, you would know that I’m all about community.

Until next time,

Jasmine Forcadilla