The Garden Berry is in full bloom as celebrated local artist Kerry Bruce transforms the space with her signature florals in solo exhibition, Where Flowers Dream, running until Wednesday, 4 February.

The café is alive with colour, where Bruce’s latest collection invites visitors into her own wondrous garden of richly textured works, brimming with life and instantly recognisable for their dynamic composition and impasto brushwork.

“I just love painting our native flowers… whatever flowers are in season,” Bruce said.

Bruce's brushstrokes of bouquets line The Garden walls

Where Flowers Dream features 12 of Bruce’s artworks giving visitors a chance to bring her vibrant collection into their own homes. 

Alison, the curator at The Garden Berry, contacted Bruce last year to invite her for the 2026 exhibition. 

“I’ve exhibited with Alison before at The Garden in Berry and she’s very professional. It’s a beautiful space to exhibit your work. I’m really proud of the work that I’ve exhibited there,” Bruce said. 

Many of her works are also available on a permanent basis at Always Flowers in Kiama and are featured at Destination Kiama’s visitor centre.

Bruce's work featured in Destination Kiama Visitor Centre

“I always work with Georgia and Stacey at Always Flowers,” Bruce said.

“They know exactly how to make me up an arrangement, or what flowers... they’ll call me and say, ‘Kerry, oh my God, I’ve got all these gum blossoms in. Do you want some?’ So I’m down there.”

A lifelong South Coast resident, Bruce’s love of flowers began on a farm at Mount Kembla. 

“I had a luscious garden up there with roses and buddleia and all sorts of beautiful flowers that just used to always just fall out of the vase,” she said.

Colourful bundles on display

“I don’t like stiff arrangements. I really love arrangements that just flop out of the vase.”

After years of travelling between Mount Kembla and her gallery in Gerringong, Bruce and her family relocated to Kiama.

“I came home one time and I just said to my husband, ‘I think I've found our next place I want to live.' We were at that stage, our kids had grown up and we were ready to move off the farm and find our next place that we're going to fall in love with. So we moved to Kiama. We found a place, renovated, and it's absolutely beautiful.” 

Bruce has been painting full-time for nearly three decades, noting she has always had a creative streak, dabbling in art while raising her children before committing to formal training.

“I then put myself into art school and did my five years and completed an advanced diploma in fine art, and I just powered on from there,” she said. 

She was picked up by Sydney Gallery straight out of art school and exhibited with them for several years before moving into representing herself and eventually opening her own Fern Street Gallery, a space she says represents her and other like-minded artists. 

Fern Street Gallery

In between exhibiting, Bruce runs workshops when her schedule allows, including two weeks in Tasmania last year and a session at Kiama’s Art Society.

With her richly textured blooms filling the café, Where Flowers Dream brings The Garden Berry its very own art exhibit to enjoy alongside your dining.