For artist Gabrielle Penfold, food isn’t just sustenance, it’s ritual, connection, ancient history and an endless source of inspiration. Taking cues from the frescoes of Herculaneum and Pompeii, Gabrielle began her career by painting the meals she ate in restaurants around Sydney. Her subject matter has expanded, but Gabrielle’s fascination with the classical world remains. Her works are a celebration of life’s pleasures — a platter of oysters, a familiar beach scene, bathers dipping their toes in a pool. “The fascinating thing is, nothing much has changed,” she says, “Oysters are still luxurious.”