Over the past few weeks I have been painting what seems like a huge pile of strawberries.

This all came about when I won a space for a two-week show in one of the Otago Art Society’s galleries upstairs in the beautiful Dunedin Railway Station. Earlier in the year, I also had a solo show at Māori Hill School — my biggest to date — which included a painting of a strawberry. That piece was so fun to create and received such positive feedback.

I’ve always had fond memories of my childhood and teenage years connected to strawberries — they were once my favourite thing to eat (before my apple addiction). I remember trips to our local strawberry fields in Tamm and the surrounding area (near Stuttgart, Germany), where we could pick and eat strawberries galore. And what is more, I was once completely infatuated with The Beatles — especially their song Strawberry Fields Forever — so much so that even my first-ever email address involved strawberries!

Out of all that, the idea was born to do a show about strawberries. I originally planned to paint eight realistic-looking, small, 20cm round pieces for the show. Well, I must have been painting like the devil, because I’ve definitely surpassed that number — I’ll have 16 when they’re all ready! They’re pretty much complete now.

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And without further ado, here’s my little blurb for the upcoming show:

In Nothing is Real, small becomes extraordinary. Dunedin-based artist Sarah Freiburger transforms the ordinary strawberry into a hyperreal muse, revisiting The Beatles’ iconic songs through a series of witty, meticulously painted scenes. Each work reimagines a Beatles song with a playful visual twist, inviting viewers to look more closely — and have a laugh.

Rendered in acrylic with precision, these bite-sized paintings merge nostalgia, reinvention, and humour. Some strawberries rest delicately on crochet doilies; others interact with each other in comic absurdity. What begins as a humorous riff on familiar lyrics becomes, in the end, a tender homage to the songs that shaped a generation.

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But wait — there’s more!
There will be a little (and maybe unexpected) twist in the show — but you’ll have to come and see it for yourself. I won’t spoil the surprise, just come along, have a good laugh, and enjoy! I had mega fun composing and painting these little pieces.

What I can tell you is that there’ll be an A-Side and a B-Side to the show — just like in the good old tape and vinyl days!

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I hope I’ve given you enough of a taster to make sure you pop this event in your calendars. There’ll be a finissage on 28 November from 5–7pm, with drinks, red nibbles, and other bits.

Hope to see you there!