Homage to Heritage explores my mother’s journey of exile from the war in Sudan to Australia. Each pot represents a different country throughout the journey, from Sudan to Egypt to Australia. For many in the Sudanese community this is a common experience. The main purpose of my body of work is to educate. The structure of the pots expresses the conflict and separation of the war in Sudan and the difficulties of transition and change through Egypt and Australia. The abstract snake on each of the pots refers to African culture as well as indicating my totem animal.

Our memories are what define us, but what happens when they are shattered as a result of trauma? Memory’s fragility means it is subject to loss and distortion, affecting one’s perception of both past and present identity. My intent was to explore how the brain copes with suffering through a detachment from the external self. My personal experience of dissociative disorder has left me struggling to put the shattered pieces of the past together again. What is left of these fleeting and fragmented memories is presented to the audience as the sparse remnants of a stable sense of self.

'To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.' Alan Watts

I swim during times of angst. I have discovered that water is like life: sometimes peaceful and comforting, sometimes overwhelming and imprisoning. In my body of work I explore feelings of intensity and awe, representing these majestic forces through chiaroscuro and negative space on scratchboard. Is every decision we make as unforgiving as a scratch on board? I watch the bubbles flowing upwards. Breathe.

My body of work, A Family Lunch, is a playful way to address the cyclical nature of human life. These colourful ceramic pieces represent the endless ebb and flow of life. I chose clay sculpture as a medium as it gave me the opportunity to mould many varying forms, and I was able to use a range of glazes to differentiate the pieces from each other and each life stage. The circular presentation is reminiscent of the twelve positions of the hands of a clock, referring to the endless nature of time as family members are born, grow and die.

As human beings we learn that suffering is inevitable. We are slaves to our own desires, perceptions and thoughts, bound by the transience of mortality. Each figure represented in my body of work is incognito, with the intent of creating an unsettling sense of ambiguity, prompting the audience's interpretation through personal experiences of restriction and/or suffering. Surreal objects are presented suspended in the air, appearing at once hopeful and vaguely ominous. While there may be freedom in humanity we are ultimately imprisoned by the foreboding force of our passing from this Earth... from the light into the shadows.

PHILTATOS: The most beloved by far explores a historical account of cautionary love and loss, a tale of two heroes – Achilles and Patroclus. My body of work references frescos of Ancient Greece with neo-classical symbolism and a colour palette of earthy golden hues. Reminiscent of animated film stills, the highly emotive imagery represents an intense human connection that is still criticised by sectors of society in our modern world.

The human species considers itself the dominant species, superior in every way, the apex predator. As humans we can critically think, analyse, act accordingly, construct languages, tools, cities and more. However, some still seek to further improve the human species through the manipulation of our DNA. They attempt to forcefully cut, paste and rearrange our incredibly complex structures. Messing with six million years of evolution surely doesn’t come without devastating complications, horrific failures and hideous experimentation. It’s not natural. Why mess with perfection? My body of work explores, through exaggeration, the confronting nightmarish failures and consequences of severe gene alteration.

I am drawn to the genre of still life by its subjectivity, forcing viewers to impose their perspective on the work. Wood carving, like a still life, is static, and creates a ‘snapshot’ of a time so we never forget. It is unique in that the artist is taking away, not adding on. My body of work represents my personal Year Twelve experience. Spending hours at the workbench, I began to notice the connection between time falling away and the shavings of jelutong collecting beneath my feet, making me acutely conscious of my position in and the passage of time.

My body of work is a look into architectural interiors, providing a perspective on reality and abstraction through materials, colour, depth and texture.

Through the microcosm of each ceramic sculpture, my body of work represents our fragile and diminishing sense of connection within the contemporary world, where society’s stereotypes provide unrealistic representations of individuals. Simultaneously, by focusing on women, it explores the perception of women within art and society. Using visually exaggerated elements I examine how individuals are viewed, constantly subjected to discrimination based on size, weight and appearance. Experimenting with the impact of perspective, my intent is to emphasise the importance of self-acceptance by provoking reflection on how changing our point of view affects authentic experience.

My body of work uses the Great Barrier Reef to reference the crisis of climate change and how it is affecting the whole world. The three white coral porcelain hearts and three white porcelain organic forms represent the human connection to the earth and how we are dying with the coral. The felt ‘cushion’ is inspired by the beautiful colours evident in a healthy coral reef and the three mixed media works express the colours of the coral reef and textures seen at a microscopic level. My intent is for the viewer to ponder their own role in climate change.