The work of Ronnie Grammatica has been inspired by the 1818 Macquarie River expedition of British explorer John Oxley.

Born in Italy, and migrating to Australia seven years ago, Ronnie Grammatica understands the challenges associated with trying to form a sense of belonging in a new country, and has utilised portraiture as his medium to explore cultural identities and stories of individuals and places within regional NSW.

"As a migrant living in Regional NSW, I am still exploring what it means to be Australian. I was born in Italy and have spent most of my life there, only relocating to Australia seven years ago. This has given me a unique perspective, experiencing our local community initially through fresh eyes as an outsider, and now from within as I have grown to become part of our community," Mr Grammatica said.

The photographic survey 200 Years On, is the latest exhibition to be held at the centre.

Colour is a big aspect of the work, with Mr Grammatica capturing both the physical essence of the subject as well as providing the viewer a glimpse of their personality through their posture and attire.

"I want the audience to stop, look, listen and reflect on the stories of these individuals as well as the story of our community and who we are today. These portraits reflect the rapidly changing society of regional NSW.

"When the bicentenary celebrations for Port Macquarie began, I wanted to know more. I began to read and discover more about the history of the town, who John Oxley was, and what his expedition meant for the traditional custodians of this land.

"I started to think about what he and his expedition would have seen and who they would have met on their journey 200 years ago, which led me to this project - If I travelled the same route, what would I see and who would I meet?" he said.

Curator Mariam Abboud said the portraits emphasize the importance of contributions each individual has made to the rapidly changing society.

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