“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” - Michelangelo. I explored self-creation and emancipation in my body of work, inspired by classical Greek and Roman marble sculptures of the perfected human form. The octopus, itself a symbol of creativity, is one of the few creatures that manipulates tools for its own benefit. The creature’s tentacles clasp the tools as it hews itself from the very stone that entraps or births it. My work pays homage to the idea that art imitates life. The search for perfection, which the ancients strove for, is still worthy of pursuit today.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists and works: Morgan Herrin, Octopus; Salvador Dali, Lobster Telephone; Michelangelo, Pieta; Jeff Samudosky, The Giant Pacific Octopus; unknown, Laocoön and his sons.

Raku clay

My body of work uses structures to investigate the disparity between human agency – the ability individuals have to make their own choices – and influential elements such as social class, gender, religion and ethnicity. The work is a scathing social commentary on 'The Block', Redfern, owned by the Aboriginal Housing Company. An environment that was once filled with vibrancy and culture is now dedicated to new development plans. Using clay and ceramic construction I juxtaposed organic and geometric slab structures to create forms that represent the significance of the existing Indigenous and international communities as opposed to the new proposed development.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Matt Adnate, Christian Boltanski, Mehwish Iqbal.

Clay

My body of work is a clear response to coral bleaching and plastic pollution in the ocean. My ceramic reef systems represent what's occurring all around the globe, with pieces of plastic making the imbalance between nature and manufactured waste evident. While maintaining visual appeal, the plastic stands as a cruel reminder of how the synthetic elements effortlessly intertwine with the organic construction of coral reefs. Glass marbles create depth in the crevices of my sculptures and, combined with the pieces of plastic, help the audience to visually recognise how coral starve, leaving their ‘bleached’ skeleton behind.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Calan Ree, Jeff Koons, Aurora Robson.

White raku, glass marbles, glaze

Fragility is a tribute to my grandfather, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It explores the complex and fragile state of the human mind, represented through the intricate form of entangled coils and precariously balanced brains in conjunction with a sense of leaching colour. My work expresses the sad reality of the effects of Alzheimer's, where the mind is slowly destroyed and only leaves a fragment of the person behind.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jennifer McCurdy, David Chatt.

Earthenware paper clay, underglazes

My body of work is a representation of the effects of Alzheimer's disease on both the individual affected and their surrounding family. I chose to use ceramics as my medium as the fragile, breakable material expresses the fragility of life and human connection. The decay of a person’s mind is represented in the form of a building being destroyed, while the collection of Polaroid photos and the sculpted hands give insight into my personal experience, having to witness my grandfather's decline due to this incurable disease.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Constance McBride, The Lonely Girls series, in particular Lonely Girl – Room 315; William Utermohlen, self-portraits 1967–2000.

Clay, acrylic paint, wire, Polaroid film

The utilitarian nature of many everyday objects often masks the beauty in their form. In my body of work I question the unconscious differentiation that we make between art and household tools, highlighting the aesthetic details of these forms by removing them from their intended purpose. Liquid porcelain served as the perfect medium as it removed the transparency of glass, allowing the viewer to see past the objects' lines both physically and metaphorically. Porcelain also enabled me to add an unglazed surface to the works, thus removing their ability to function conventionally.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Milly Dent, Hayden Youlley, Kerryn Levy, Penelope Duke.

Ceramic slip, coloured stain

My body of work explores my personal experience of listening to the stories of my grandparents who left Latvia and emigrated to Australia. Nature is deeply embedded in Latvian culture; my family's surname is derived from the Latvian word for 'birch tree'. Thus, I have used the recurring motif of the birch tree to represent my family's narrative embedded in the landscape and history of Latvia. The symbols that make up the frames draw on Baltic mythology with particular reference to the sun, which signifies life, unity and the eternal.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Albrecht Dürer, William Kentridge, Xu Bing, Imants Tillers.

Drypoint etching, reduction lino, ink

My body of work highlights the overuse of plastic in modern food packaging. Society seems to place great value on single-use plastic, with supermarkets sheathing their products in it. By presenting these 'throwaway' items as my subject, using a traditional vanitas style and the medium of ceramics, I expose the ironies in how we collectively value plastic. By representing something like a chip bag in fastidious detail I place the significance of art on it, and position the viewer to consider the value they put on these items.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of Dutch masters’ vanitas style.

Oil on canvas, graphite on paper, ceramics

Sticks and Stones … is about racial discrimination. Influenced by Ben Quilty, Peter Sharp, John Coburn and Albert Tucker's works, I have used clay bones to represent the title. The sculpture represents the individual with a particular cultural background, with the 'skin' revealing words spoken by others, and the parrot signifying Australians. Each phrase identifies words spoken by bullies, the feelings that are felt and the words spoken by the mother. The shadow paintings represent the effect of time on the individual's growth and acceptance of their own identity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Ben Quilty, Landcruiser; Albert Tucker, Armoured Faun Attacked by Parrots; Peter Sharp; John Coburn.

Clay, acrylic paint on canvas

I wanted my body of work to represent my culture so my teacher and I did some research and found out that the island I was from would be wiped out in about 50 years, so I wanted to share it around to let everyone know and to make a change.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: my teacher and fellow students.

Wood, thick paper, laser machine

My body of work is about being spiritually strong. I am proud to be a descendant of the oldest continuing culture in the world, Australia's original peoples / First Peoples of this country. Through photography and sculpture I have made a personal journey exploring my identity, learning about my Country, community, family law, sovereign knowledge, custodianship and expectations of my culture. It is my intention to have our culture and history, our place as this continent's First People, embraced and celebrated as a unique feature of this continent's story. To reclaim what we should never have lost or been denied – who I am.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Dale Harding, Gordon Bennett, Daniel Boyd.

Photography, sculpture, mixed media

Imagine if you could buy freedom? For some, the cost is much greater than for others. Gold is indicative of privilege, wealth, social class and freedom. Gold is also the colour of the thermal blankets that refugees drape themselves in. For refugees, gold is not a symbol to display their prosperity or liberty, but a tool for survival. Playing upon gold’s associations of commerce, celebrity and wealth, in jarring contrast to the plight of refugees, my body of work’s intent is to challenge the viewer by asking them to reconsider their understanding of the true value of freedom, and its cost.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Ben Quilty, Ai Weiwei, Alex Seton, Liu Xiaodong, Jeff Koons, Yoko Ono.

Oil on canvas

The ways in which we recognise styles of artists and characteristics of iconic artworks are fundamentally by colour, shape and texture. For ArchModernist, I selected one modern artist and one modern/contemporary architect as inspiration for five original architectural designs to explore parallels in practices in the depiction of non-representative form. My body of work was created using laser-cutting technology and light and space to highlight the transcendence of concepts across artistic and architectural works. My work is a homage to modernists of both the art and architectural world, and establishes that there is a universal communication of ideas in the contemporary context.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Federico Babina, Piet Mondrian, I M Pei, Robert Delaunay, Tommie Wilhelmsen, Donald Judd, Ole Scheeren, Josef Albers, Zaha Hadid, Wassily Kandinsky, Daniel Libeskind.

Acrylic sheets, LED lights, timber

My body of work has a refined, simple, weightless aesthetic that represents a harmonious marriage between modern technological advancement and an organic language of natural elements through form. These works are a dynamic sculptural form of architecture, indicating the possibilities for the design and construction of contemporary buildings. My intention is to design buildings that develop out of their natural surroundings, to promote greater coherence between the individual and their environment. All forms take on a minimalistic aesthetic using reductive design elements with minimal ornamentation, to return the audience’s focus to the natural composition of the land.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry.

Mylar, foam core, Perspex

As we dive further into our technologically saturated world, the need to be constantly interconnected and perpetually engaged in a digital reality can overwhelm the individual. My body of work explores the sense of technological anxiety, constructing a narrative around our inability to escape total interconnection with our ‘digitality’. Through the use of hybrid form triptych stop-motion animation, the individual's conflict with our compulsion for media represents the larger social turmoil. Using elements of the Brechtian verfremdungseffekt [distancing effect] and visceral imagery, my intention is to activate awareness of our uncontrollable engagement, as we become consumed by our own innovation.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists and works: William Kentridge, Second Hand Reading; Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights; Don Chaffey (dir), Jason and the Argonauts; Edgar Wright (dir), Scott Pilgrim vs The World; Ziggy Cross (video), You Tore Out My Heart; Pipilotti Rist.

Photography, sculpture, time-based forms

The mind is a cognitive faculty that houses the thoughts and consciousness of an individual. I was inspired by the metaphysical concept of mind­–body dualism that claims that the mind and the body are two distinct and separable factors. I have explored this dualism through psychological portraits, one physical and one non-physical, representing the impossibility of grasping the magnitude of our mind as it elaborates on itself continually. Thus, going further than biological knowledge, I challenge our perceptions of truly knowing those closest to us. I have used a mixed media approach to capture the complexities of the mind.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Eric Lacombe, KwangHo Shin, Ben Quilty, Mathieu Laca.

Charcoal and mixed media on Stonehenge

Artworks create a visual verse, with its metre found in tone and its lyrics in marks; it is a verse that translates the complex and ever-changing narrative of life for an immeasurable audience. In recording places of significance in my own life, my body of work reflects on the silent, almost subconscious, relationships that we each form with familiar spaces. Just as a medium is built up on paper, so too are meaningful memories layered through the making of marks. This work is intended to reacquaint you with a familiar space; somewhere that has stirred an emotion or left a lasting imprint on you.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: John Bokor, Alberto Giacometti, Edouard Vuillard, Margaret Olley, Peter Godwin, Brett Whiteley.

Charcoal, ink, gesso and pastel on paper

My body of work intends to visually capture the collective experience of individual awareness and presence of mind. I was interested in the concept of ‘sonder’, the realisation that every other person has a life as vivid and complex as your own. I began to experiment with Indian ink and its fluid, spontaneous nature to represent the psychological and emotional state of each individual. Each portrait demands contemplation by the audience: a time to connect and engage with the shared human experience.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: William John Waterhouse, William Blake, Baroque period.

Ink on Stonehenge

My body of work represents a genetic comparison of my father and grandfather. The work’s overbearing scale consumes audiences, allowing them to ‘step into the shoes’ of two remarkable men and develop a personal connection with them. My grandfather was a shoemaker.

Charcoal

My body of work explores the theme of my own LGBTQI+ identity. I chose this concept because I am constantly re-evaluating who I am or who I could be in relation to my own identity as well as my place within society, and considering how these re-evaluations are affected by the people around me. I used monochrome black and white to challenge the perception of identity as 'colourful' subject matter, turning it into something basic, requiring viewers to look deeper into the work. My intent is to represent how important your identity is to yourself, and how it may appear multifaceted yet simple to those around you.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Diego Fazio, Kelvin Okafor.

Graphite pencil on paper

After asking others about the meaning of my body of work, I have come to realise that its true meaning lies within your subjective interpretation – whether it be the fragility of memory; how friends can become fragments of a past life; the lifeless homogeneity of everyday life; the loss of individuality due to the pressures of a conformist society; or something else.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Adam Riches.

Charcoal pencil

My body of work draws heavily on inspiration from popular culture: films like Mad Max and Transformers. Other influences include artworks by great artists such as Banksy, Kim Jung Gi and Brett Whiteley, as well as the heavily congested roadways of New South Wales. My artmaking processes were quite diverse, starting with large draft sketches on brown paper, then refining individual elements using digital means, and finally transferring each form onto card using pen and alcohol-based markers. I believe good entertainment leaves an audience with a lasting memory; the purpose of my work is to simply entertain, like a static, monochromatic action movie.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Brett Whiteley, Kim Jung Gi, Eric Canete, William Kentridge, Banksy.

Pen and pencil on card

Within my body of work I have explored different aspects of consumerism and how it can affect individuals within society. Our society is fixated on short-term gratification and satisfaction. My intent was to represent how people are overly focused on materialism. All the clothes in my work were used or discarded items but I have given them further value beyond their initial purpose.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Warren Lotas.

Acrylic on clothing

While shifts in the physical realm are defined and apparent, transitions in one's mental state are subtle. Yet these are the things that govern our outlook and, ultimately, the way we approach fleeting moments of solitude in our lives. In our increasingly urban environment, many people experience difficulty in attaining comfort when left to their own devices. Departure explores the psychological journey people embark on as they seek to face uncertainty with composure. The varying degrees of ease in each person’s facial expression and gestures during moments of mundanity and, seemingly, stagnancy represent how the ego manifests itself when a person is alone.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Edward Hopper, Compartment C, Car 293, House Tops, Night on the El Train; Prudence Flint, The Meal.

Acrylic paint on paper

My body of work explores and appreciates the richness and perpetual beauty of the natural landscape by looking through the lens of texture and form. Threads of Nature represents the important and fragile, yet strong, elements of the landscape and their fundamental interconnectedness. We may not see and comprehend the layers of earth beneath the surface, but they work together to provide strength and resilience to support and balance the ever-powerful life force of nature that surrounds us.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Fred Williams, Neil Frazer, Matilda Dumas, Kylie Fogarty.

Painting on board, tissue paper

My body of work is an abstract expressionist painting based on the concept of femininity, using conventional colours and feminine forms such as rounded curves, circles and organic lines. My influences are Georgia O'Keeffe and Lee Krasner, both modernist, feminist, abstract painters working at a time dominated by male practitioners. The multilayered, textured surface of my painting coupled with the assembly of overlapping, sensual, curved shapes alludes to the many aspects of womanhood, and to the array of complex identities and representations within the realm of 'femaleness'. Ultimately, my painting is a tribute to female strength and empowerment, and a celebration of femininity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Georgia O'Keeffe, Lee Krasner.

Acrylic on board

For Paul Cézanne the most important thing in his paintings was the relationship between colours and forms in space, not the precise identities of these objects. I find Cézanne's work intriguing in the way that he uses simple representations to create a work of complexity through colour and shape. My body of work represents Cézanne's still-life painting, The Basket of Apples, in the physical plane while referencing his painting style. Cézanne aimed to create works of beauty from the ordinary. He once said, “With an apple, I will astonish Paris”, influencing modern art, and inspiring me.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of Paul Cézanne, The Basket of Apples.

Plaster of Paris wraps, acrylic paint

Pulchra Tacita Caelum (Beautiful Silent Sky) provides an opportunity for the audience to view the fleeting qualities of the sky and clouds, and remember our sense of awareness in a world where we tend to keep our heads held low. My intent is to represent the ethereal tides of time through moments where the sky speaks a beauty that often goes unnoticed. It is my personal representation of an aesthetic but also a collective experience that individuals have with the heavenly allure of the sky. No matter the time or place, the sky is there, ever changing yet always the same.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Fiona Barrett-Clark; Yang Maoyuan, Sky; Bill Henson.

Gouache

My work is an expression of my affinity and love for the desert landscape, particularly Uluru. It also expresses my concern for the damage inflicted on our precious natural environment. It was a breathtaking experience standing at the base of Uluru – a solid and enduring site. Using both memory and my photographs, I painted my own representations of the landscape. The work explores the disparity between the earth's natural and enduring phenomenon of Uluru, where change occurs across millennia, with the ephemeral nature of our consumerist society. The title suggests a comparison of the naturally infinite with our increasingly finite resources.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Euan MacLeod.

It is in the natural order of things to grow and deteriorate. Everything is impermanent, even the eventual decay that we all face as humans. Trompe l'oeil represents the cyclical nature of life and death by drawing parallels between decayed still life and human deterioration. My intent is to challenge the basis of traditional vanitas art by subverting the notion of decay as a symbol of growth and new chapters. Using the transformative power of time as the foundation of my body of work, I express the transience of earthly elements and the impermanence of death in an ever-changing world.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Rachel Bess, Harmen Steenwyck, Em Cooper.

Oil on canvas, stop motion video

In my body of work I have manipulated aerial photography of oceanic environments, taking the vast seascape and condensing it into a contained, reimagined space. My intent is to represent the impact of human activity, forever reducing our natural world. The topographical angle emphasises the surreal nature of the world, as well as its feminine characteristics. Conversely, the photographs also work to display the process of regeneration and growth, and how the ocean is a vessel for environmental rebirth.

Print

My photographic skills are strongest when I have a deep connection with my subject matter. That is why I have based my body of work on my love for my grandparents and the love between them. My work explores the intimate relationship between my grandmother and grandfather. In an Asian household such as mine, people do not really say 'I love you', but express their love and affection through their actions, which sometimes can be taken for granted. My work is a short story representing different stages of my grandparents’ lives.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: William Yang, Imogen Cunningham.

Humans are so involved with technology that we let our lives be run by it. As technology is controlled by a sequence of 1s and 0s, for my body of work I changed all of the numbers to binary to produce a simple spread of black and white inverted images. The work represents humanity’s toxic relationship with technology as well as showing how alike we all are, as each person photographed has a different nationality. My intent was to highlight that, while society attempts to define us by numbers, a number does not define who we are as people.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Annie Leibovitz, Nick Ut, Flora Borsi, Dorothea Lange, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Lewis Hine, Kevin Carter, Alecia Beth Moore (Pink), René Magritte, Tom Hussey.

Chiffon print, small printed book

“In Hollywood, nobody knows anything.” William Golding While many chase the dream of becoming Hollywood-famous, they turn a blnd eye to the perspective that isn't so glamorous – or choose not to face it. Using the collodion wet plate process gave me a granular texture and chiaroscuro effect to express the sombre and poignant life of these icons and to represent the golden period of Hollywood. I matched each model to the costume and make-up that best suited them and their corresponding icon. William Goldman's quote resonated with my concept, not only because of what it says, but who he was – one of Hollywood's greatest scriptwriters.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Dickey Chapelle, Diane Arbus.

19th century photo box and plates

My body of work explores the relationship between life and death while acknowledging the beautiful, inextricable link between the two.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Bill Viola, Duane Michals, Michelangelo.

Photos

My body of work comments on the impermanence of man made structures contrasted by the everlasting powerful ocean.

In my body of work I explored the creation of abstract worlds by focusing on small details within nature. Using macro photography, simple forms and colours emerged which reveal ambiguities and uncertainties about the subject matter. The texture of the fine art paper blurs the boundaries between photography and painting.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Carlin Felder, Uta Barth.

Digital images printed on fine art paper

My body of work is about the displacement of a person’s identity when they are removed from a traditional homeland. Expressive lines carved into lino plates represent the figures of my grandfather and grandmother currently, and my grandfather in his youth. Using lino and carborundum printing as an exaggerating mechanism, I printed the portrait images onto tarlatan cloth in order to layer the images, creating a blurred multitude of faces and identities. Blurred movement indicates transportation, broadening the scale of identities degenerating as a result of war, specifically identifying the Yugoslav wars which stimulated the mass removal of civilians such as my grandparents.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of William Kentridge’s work, Shadow Processions.

Lino and carborundum printing

I have used printmaking to explore ideas related to the cultural and physical site of Shanghai. It is a city that is constantly changing and evolving in our postmodern world. My body of work represents the ‘mashing together’ of past and present through a series of layered prints and woodblocks.

Prints, woodblocks

In my representations of an angler fish and squid/octopus, I include the defining features of each animal and leave the rest to the viewer’s imagination, mirroring the idea that the deep ocean can only be imagined by most people. My fascination with the ocean, fishing and sea life led me down this path. I found the mediums of metal and charcoal most effective, and used welding to create solid single-piece forms, representing the smooth and streamlined surfaces of the creatures. By heat treating the metal I was able to attain an iridescent effect to express the colour-changing qualities of the squid.

Charcoal, metal

They are the curious, sometimes frightening, sometimes humorous creatures that inhabit Gothic architecture. And they are now making appearances in 21st century buildings. If Sydney Harbour Bridge had a gargoyle, it may look like this.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral.

Biomimicry: designing new products using patterns and strategies that occur in nature. The inspiration for my body of work was the form of viruses, bacteria and cancer cells as viewed under an electron microscope. Struck by the simple purity of the forms within the surrounding environment, I represented what I saw as an investigation of form and space. I pushed the medium of tissue paper to its limits, creating organic forms from geometric shapes. Through manipulation, the material transcends the world of the organic and metamorphic, taking on its own lifeform and transforming into biomimicry.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Bronwyn Oliver, Fiona Hall, Richard Sweeney.

Tissue paper, PVA glue, Perspex, wood

Escaping the Psychle explores the limitations of human thought and the notion of a universal consciousness that traps us within a cycle of thought, limiting us from being able to think freely. Using light, scale and unconventional metallic sculpting materials I have overcome the physical limits of the sculptural medium, creating a kinetic sculpture which represents the mental entrapment that we all face. The deliberate incorporation of the symbolic human figure and over sixty unique cog designs invites the audience to visualise this subconscious entrapment, prompting the question, 'How do we escape the Psychle?'

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Constantin Brâncuși, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Seo Yeong-Deok, Alexander Calder.

Metallic paint on acrylic

My body of work explores art’s traditional interest with intimate feminine moments, while also considering the voyeuristic undercurrent present in many artworks featuring female nudes. Motivated by the consistent and perhaps invasive portrayal of the female form throughout art history, I used a variety of materials to re-imagine, subvert, confront and re-contextualise the way the female form has been represented by artists such as Rodin, Degas and Brian Dunlop. I then constructed the relief sculpture to introduce a concrete representation of the male gaze.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists and works: Edgar Degas, Woman Combing her Hair, The Tub; Auguste Rodin, Danaïd; Brian Dunlop, Cleo's Breakfast; Francisco de Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.

Acrylic, plaster, bronze, charcoal, aquatint

My body of work represents the process of restoration occurring in my homeland of Afghanistan. Just as nature can flourish and overcome the destruction caused by war, wild flora and mushrooms emerge from within the cracks of each broken ceramic. In the Japanese Kintsugi technique of mending broken things with gold, the cicatrix of each piece becomes a thing of beauty. I was inspired by Frida Kahlo's own exploration of her cultural heritage, my work embodying the hope that one day Afghanistan will regain its rich culture. As humans, it is inevitable that we encounter adversity. However, through this we can find a new form of beauty and healing.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: PetitPlat, Frida Kahlo, Alisa LiskaFlower, MP Gautheron.

Epoxy clay on Afghan ceramics

Many people have to leave their home country and live in a culture completely foreign to them. This is the concept behind my body of work, but it was a difficult concept to physically represent. I had to experiment with different ideas to find the right balance of emotional depth and familiarise the audience with the reality that such people face. The range of difficulties that I experienced include: bubbles in the epoxy resin; creating a clay mould for the concrete; the bronzing of the tiny woman as it was such a small object to bronze; using the laser cutter to print the maps.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Ben Young.

Epoxy resin, timber, cast bronze, concrete

Yōkai are a class of supernatural monsters, spirits and demons from Japanese folklore. They range from the malevolent to the mischievous, occasionally bringing good fortune to those who encounter them. They are often used to explain supernatural or unaccountable phenomena and I believe they reflect many of the characteristics of the human heart and human nature. My sculptures are based on the Kappa, Tengu and Oni Yōkai. I have used dry needle felting and wet felting techniques to create my sculptures out of wool roving.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Hiné Mizushima, Toriyama Sekien, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists.

Wool roving, wire

My body of work, a six-minute experimental video, takes the traditional Greek myth of Narcissus into a futuristic context. It critiques contemporary society and our values in relation to human connections, relationships and the universal human experience of Love. CTRL+C follows the story of a protagonist searching to find their perfect love in a virtual world. However, what happens if your perfect match is a better version of yourself ­– what if it is a digital clone of yourself? The storyline uses metaphor to criticise the significance of 'human relationships' in a world of moral decay.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists and works: Caravaggio, Narcissus; Nicolas Poussin, Echo and Narcissus; Ovid, Narcissus and Echo.

Photoshop and Final Cut Pro

My body of work is a visual collage of my identity, represented through self-portraits in varying media, and in various idle animations. The work exposes my own insecurities and indecisiveness around self-expression and the act of creating something to be viewed. My initial aversion to painting a self-portrait is the main reason that I created multiples, with each figure expressing a different emotional response to being on display. Through the repeated reworking and erasing of each piece, imprints of the previous layer are left behind, and inform what comes next.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Blu, Muto; Craig Ruddy; Edward Hopper; William Kentridge.

Oil, acrylic, charcoal, digital illustrations

As technology integrates itself within all aspects of human life through social media platforms and the like, the notion of a 'digital identity' has steadily become more elaborate. This has given rise to global concerns about the loss of privacy through surveillance by governments and other controlling structures. My body of work is an interactive mirror that represents these forces by reconstructing the environment in various digital forms and continuously surveying your movements. We wilfully ignore the danger to our privacy and freedom posed by these social platforms, as our comfortable dependence on these digital constructions has taught us to not think twice about it.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: MC Escher, Daniel Rozin.

Coding in Python on laptop, webcam, TV

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Andile Dyalvane; Doris Salcedo, Atrabiliarios; Vernon Ah Kee; El Anatsui.

brown raku clay

Last Chapter explores the heavy effects of consumerist society on evolution and the natural environment. In today’s world there is constant debate about climate change and the effects of modern society upon the natural world. In my body of work I represent the path of human history and its current trajectory, through the environments that supported this journey of human evolution, into a dark and unnerving environment shaped by today’s society.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Alice Blanch, Philip Wolfhagen, Alison Moritsugu, Eugene von Guérard.

Oil on wood

My body of work expresses moments in time; interior scenes with objects that people placed sentimental value on, but are now left to simply ‘gather dust’ due to the constant sense of urgency in society which forces us to abandon these things and pursue what capitalism deems to be more worthwhile. The clock, antiques and other ordinary items represent the substance of the subject who is absent from the scene. The vintage aesthetic further references the concept of time passing. Gathering Dust explores the lingering human imprint of stillness and reflection without the actual presence of people.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Dong Yuan, Carl Holsøe.

Acrylic on canvas, wooden clocks

Using the medium of stone sculpture, Reclining Figure represents the human figure in an abstract, distorted form. Properties of natural forms – shells, bones, eroding rocks – influenced its shape, and contrast with sharp contemporary lines in reference to modern architectural landscapes. My body of work comments on abstraction itself: beauty is found in the ‘randomness’ of natural structures and daily existence. It represents attributes of the human form literally and figuratively, exploring ideas of the ‘internal landscape’ of the human mind and the contortion of the psyche. This work uses the human figure as an organic, sculptural expression of the mind.

Serpentine stone

The ocean’s process is a ‘dynamic equilibrium’. Always changing, with a constant balance. For my body of work, I focused on a place where the ocean meets the land and created an ocean panorama consisting of aerial photography and painting. My mixed media works use a variety of painting techniques and incorporate resin that is traditionally used for commercial purposes. My intent was to create rich, layered and expressive surfaces that capitalise on the clarity and luminosity of resin to produce brilliance and depth.

Over time, our world has been modernised through innovations and industrialisation which burden and disregard the natural environment. My body of work, Gaia Blossom, uses both organic and manufactured materials to explore the intricate balance between the natural and industrial worlds. My intent is to bring attention to the presence of industrialisation in our society, and how it affects the beauty of the natural environment and society’s connection to nature itself. I have woven the colour green through each piece to represent the natural world in contrast to the cold metallic elements. A delicate nature is still retained.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Terhi Tolvanen, Meredith Turnbull.

metal mesh, wire, rubber tube, threads.

Influenced by Romantic ideals, my body of work subverts historical perceptions of the divine natural landscape to express a contemporary view of the consequences of our consumerist society on nature subsequent to the Industrial Revolution. In my work, natural elements are constrained by humanity’s artificial creations. Through the use of synthetic materials and the inherent deconstruction and reconstruction of collage my intent was to reveal the reality of contemporary nature, where plastic waste and landfill have tarnished the grandeur of the divine landscape. What humans once sought to conquer is now destroyed.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Joan Ross, Caterina Rossato, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Chrystal Rimmer, Vilde Rolfsen, Caspar David Friedrich.

Plastic sculpture, printing.

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Isabella Edwards; Kuang Chu (Liu Zheng), Red Balloon series; Marija Tiurina, The Town of Thoughts; Henrietta Harris; Amie Luczkowski-Gibson.

ink pen on clay

Inspired by my studies of Bill Henson’s use of dark moody lighting, my original intent was to express the personalities and moods of my dogs in a similar manner. However, during some exploratory concept drawings with charcoal, I decided to work with charcoal on fabric and to extend and develop my ideas to represent our family as a whole, complete with moods, personalities and the strong bonds between us. I retained a monochromatic colour scheme but focused on the bright, more joyful and quirky nature of my world. The resultant body of work reveals the real bosses of our home.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Bill Henson, Robert Billington, William Wegman.

Charcoal on Canvas

'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 artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Martine Emdur, Alban Grosdidier, Tracey Stoll, Benjamin Vnuk, Francis Bacon.

Scratchboard

All fragile beginnings brim with potential to be perfectly equipped for survival. My body of work is a compilation of drawings and prints exploring birds – their feathers, beaks and claws – examining how this potential can be fulfilled and how transformations and mutations may lead to the death of nature.

Drawing, print, pencil and ink on paper

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Lynda Draper.

White earthenware clay and glaze

The perception of self is commonly associated with insecurity and our individual flaws. We often do not recognise our own weaknesses, and that the emotion that grips our minds is fear. This emotion hinders our perception of ourselves and destroys our inner peace. Incorporating self-portraits into my body of work confronted my own insecurity, exposing perceived flaws and imperfections in my appearance. By using chiaroscuro – contrasting tones of light and dark with the black background – my intent is to create a confronting space of vulnerability and sensitivity to fear, imperfection and anxiety for subjective interpretation.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jono Dry, Rembrandt van Rijn, Caravaggio, Johannes Vermeer.

After seeing the effects that the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires of late 2019 to early 2020 had on the natural Australian landscape, I felt compelled to explore this event. Through an abstracted style, placing particular attention on the blackened tones and scorched texture of the land, my intent was to evoke a mood of reflection in the audience. I worked with charcoal on paper, using actual charcoal gathered from burnt sites to highlight the physical and conceptual materiality of the medium.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Tracey Maroni.

charcoal on paper

My body of work is a physical exploration of something intangible – the hidden components of identity. I used charcoal pencils on watercolour paper to have the full spectrum of dark and light to express soft and dramatic forms with strong contrasting tones as well as subtle areas of gradation. This represents the hidden truths and layers of an individual’s identity with its many shades of grey. I used the side pages of a book to create the same linear qualities evident in the masked portraits, playing with the idea that ‘you can’t read a book by its cover’.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Paul Cadden, Mike Parr, Vernon Ah Kee.

Charcoal pencil on Stonehenge paper

All Australians are affected by the harsh and diverse environment and natural disasters for which Australia is famous. The severe bushfires at the start of 2020 and the following floods which ravaged the Australian landscape had an impact on everyone, even those who weren’t close to the disasters. Within my body of work, my intent was to explore the ways in which these events affected everyone. I chose to do a large scale graphite drawing to incorporate details within the work that represent the physical, mental and emotional effects of these natural disasters.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Jono Dry.

Graphite pencil on paper

When we reach the end of our lives, what is it that we leave behind that shows we were really once here? When we are gone, were all the years poured into our education really worth it? The Silent Cry of the Educated Dead represents the endless cycle of productivity over individuality, created as a result of the institutionalised education system. Is the value of a human life the sum of their achievements, or have we missed something crucial?

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Shaun Tan, The lost thing; Chris Riddell; Takashi Murakami.

ballpoint pen on paper

My body of work is an intuitive and personal exploration of the Australian natural landscape. The complex character of this environment is represented in the layers of rich and varying shapes, tones and textures in the work. Eco-dying is used to express this foundationally, as locally-found organic material imbues the paper with a distinctive Australian colour palette and unique, natural abstractions. Stitching and drawing similarly represent the landscape’s complexity in their integration into the papers; they express the detailed, textured intricacies which supplement the larger shape and colour of our beautiful, Australian ecosystem.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: John Wolseley, Imants Tillers, Janet Laurence, Fred Williams.

Eco-dyed paper, pencil, thread, fabric

I am interested in drawing both film noir gangster films and birds, so my body of work combines these interests. I have inserted birds into various film noir scenes, dressed as characters from those scenes. I have used different lighting settings in the scenes, with environments ranging from well-lit to almost completely dark. In this work I focused on improving my tonal drawing skills. Over the course of creating my work, my skills and knowledge around effectively creating tonal drawings progressed much further than I expected.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the film noir gangster film genre.

Graphite on Paper

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Radek Husak, Jesse Stern, René Magritte, Jono Dry.

Graphite on paper

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Benjamin West, Thetis bringing the Armor to Achilles; Ancient Greek pottery; Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles; Hayao Miyazaki; Herbert James Draper.

Prints on Premium PVC Foamboard

In my body of work, my intent was to explore my bittersweet childhood and identity, in particular my relationship with my family and home country. The porcelain represents my heritage and connection with Shanghai, which I consider ‘home’. The distorted shapes of the ceramics simultaneously represent my struggle growing up in a one-parent household and my disconnection from my father and his birthplace, Taiwan. The ceramic plates integrate the Japanese repair technique of kintsugi, representing the development of my own character. All of these influences have been extremely significant in my life, and have contributed to who I am today.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Livia Marin, Pam Tippett.

Acrylic paint on wood and ceramics

In my body of work I explored the internalised emotions associated with bereavement. My innate and deep desire to come to terms with the death of my father (in 2008 when I was 5 years old) inspired my investigation of this concept. Each teapot, through form, surface texture, colour and relative scale, represents a single or a combination of emotions and feelings experienced in grieving, such as anguish, devastation, frustration, guilt, loss of innocence, collision between parental nurturing and the brutal reality of death.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Judi Tavill, Simone Fraser, Kate Malone, Tatiana Gvozdetskaya.

White Raku clay

To many, the space of a home provides comfort and belonging – a sanctuary within the currents of our everyday life. So where do we seek refuge when our home is uncertain? My body of work represents the ephemeral sense of ‘home’ experienced by those residing on the streets. Employing the fragile canvas of cardboard boxes, my work challenges the concept of an abode of safety which we as fortunate audiences are accustomed to. My intent is to evoke a renewed appreciation for the walls that innately protect and reassure us.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Daniel Butterworth.

Acrylic on Cardboard

The Shed represents the essence of mateship, shared purpose and contribution to the community in the lives of five men in their later years. Painted realistically to fully express their authenticity, my body of work is mounted using the very materials used by these men. Within the men’s shed they find belonging, friendship and an outlet for creativity with a practical purpose. Separate individuals, drawn together through their common goals and passion for working with wood, they skilfully shape this material and in turn shape their own wellbeing.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Michelangelo, Duncan Shoosmith, Derren Brown.

Acrylic on wood

Taking a reductionist approach, my body of work, Distillations of Memory and Place, is a series of abstract landscapes representing the essential elements of line, colour, form and texture of the natural environment. I was inspired by the coastal environment that surrounds me. My intent was to express the organic lines and textures that occur naturally by identifying the crucial elements of the environment. In developing my work I realised that perhaps they are not abstract landscapes at all, as they represent the landscape as it truly is, just distilled.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: John Olsen, Jenny Sages, Emma Walker.

Acrylic on plywood

Amar Kotha honours women who live at the edge of society and continue the fight for dignity and respect, yet are rarely ever placed within the world’s limelight. Society has failed to recognise the bravery and strength that women in the South Asian region maintain, despite the adversity they face. My body of work pays tribute to the mothers, sisters and daughters who continue to endure the many prescribed roles within their society, with the intent of defying the limited image of fragility that surrounds their femininity. Painting with oils represents the powerful yet nurturing presence that women have.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Devon Rodriguez, Loribelle Spirovski, Agnes Grochulska, Andrew Tischler, GMB Akash, Vincent van Gogh.

Oil on Canvas

My body of work explores how even fragmentary memories can be valuable for shaping identity. The work represents the urban scenery of Beijing and my internalised perception of the city and its people. The tall wooden blocks represent skyscrapers on which I have superimposed, in contrast with their sharp rectilinear geometric outlines, images that represent my personal memories of the past, expressing my deep connection to place despite its change. The wooden blocks are also a reference to toy blocks for toddlers and past memories – which may be foreign and alienating for postmodern individuals occupied with personal concerns.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Eadweard Muybridge, Isaak Levitan, James McNabb.

Oil on wood

My body of work, Gugaa (Goanna), is a large work using traditional Aboriginal storytelling and Indigenous patterning. My family background is from western NSW so this work expresses ideas and concepts that link to the Dreamtime and connect to my cultural identity. For this work I used traditional techniques and colours of the earth and sky including black, white, grey, yellow and red. The goanna is a sacred Wiradjuri totem and is a direct link to my attachment to Country.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Charlotte Allingham, Nathan Patterson, Aunty Esther.

Acrylic on board

A billabong is a stationary body of backwater, frequently the heart and soul of nature for the surrounding area, enabling new life to start and old life to be sustained. It is part of the regenerative cycle where water is the epicentre of life. My body of work explores the clash of regenerative and self-destructive forces in Australian nature. Australian habitats are constantly alternating between destructive and regenerative cycles – one cannot function without the other, just like beginning cannot exist without end, light without dark and life without death. Prosperity and life flourish through a thick layer of ash.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Fred Williams, William Robinson, Hal Hattam.

Acrylics and Charcoal on Canvas

Scent is the most complex, powerful and precise sense we have, always attached to emotion. One whiff of my mother's perfume brings dormant memories back to me. My body of work uses still life bottles of perfume to represent the intricate identity and nature of the intimacy I have with those closest to me. As the audience engages with my work, smelling the perfume strips, they are offered an intimate insight into my relationships while triggering their own associations and memories. The work also references COVID-19, an early symptom of which is loss of smell, depriving us of intimacy.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: The Art of Scent (1889-2012), New York Museum of Arts and Design exhibition 2012; Eric Christensen.

Oil on canvas and paper on foamcore

My body of work explores the complexities of identity which extend beyond a physical image to ask whether we can truly know others. Inspired by classical works of old masters, I united traditional realism and abstract oil painting techniques. My intent is to expose how individuals can manipulate how they present themselves to others. In expressing our innermost thoughts, opinions, needs and desires we can break the facade we hide behind which distorts how we are perceived. My work questions what we really know about others, and expresses the depth of a person behind what you see ‘at face value’.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Henrik Uldalen, Lee K, Caravaggio.

oil on canvas

My body of work explores my studio and artmaking processes. I focused on portraiture as a means of investigating the soul's, or the artist's, intimate relationship with the canvas, as well as referencing Renaissance artists such as Goya and Caravaggio whose influence and use of chiaroscuro greatly inspired me and my practice. Using mirrors and lighting to add greater depth and perspective, I invite the audience to place themselves in the studio, and to appreciate and explore the setting beyond what is seen on the canvas.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Francisco de Goya, Caravaggio.

The issues and ideas I explored in my body of work were inspired by the video game Journey. This is the classic hero’s journey that is found throughout our culture. My intent was to represent a 2D fantasy world in 3D form. Fantasy and science fiction themes in mediums such as video games, books and movies have always fascinated me. I am currently developing a video game so this informed my practice in the handbuilding of City of Clay. My intent is to give the audience a unique experience as if they were a part of this virtual world.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Three High Houses; Antoni Gaudi, Sagrada Familia; thatgamecompany, Journey; Team Cherry, Hollow Knight; Konjak (Joakim Sandberg), Iconoclasts; EXOK Games, Celeste; Brandon Sanderson, The Stormlight Archive series; Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind; Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince; Travis Knight (dir), Kubo and the Two Strings.

Clay

Memories, big or small, are kept and stored in the heart of our minds and can remain with us for eternity. My body of work was inspired by the memories I’ve created with my grandma, who has cared for me from a very early age. I associate many of my memories of my time with her with objects from her home. They may look ordinary to a stranger’s eye, but they hold a very personal meaning for me.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Johannes Vermeer, Dutch still life artists, 1970s photorealists.

Acrylic on canvas

My body of work expresses a personal disillusionment with conservative Chinese values that are, in my own experience, too polarised to reconcile with my experience as a second-generation immigrant. I have explored the resultant profound anxiety and self-hatred through the appropriation of religious imagery, using the division between ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’, and the image of Confucius, whose teachings are engraved on the consciousness of every East-Asian person. The work represents how the traditional values that emphasise societal conformity and filial piety, resulting in the unambiguous distinction between ‘moral’ and ‘immoral’, become a condemnation of individual expression.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Octave Tassaert, Heaven and Hell.

Oil on canvas

In my body of work, Proof of life, I explored the effect of the repetitive nature of everyday activities on the human experience. The work was influenced by the time spent in isolation during COVID-19, when we carried out the same activities every day. Each piece represents two sides of the same activity: the left side is before it has happened, and the right side is the aftermath. This work was shot on medium format film on my Mamiya rz67 in my dad’s house. I chose film because it produces better quality images, and to create a timeless feel.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Alec Soth, George Muncey, William Eggleston.

Photography, Photoshop

My body of work is a series of photographs studying the metaphysical. This branch of philosophy explores the fundamental nature of our reality as humans, especially the relationships between mind and matter, and potentiality and actuality. I took inspiration from dreams as they are examples of our minds exploring potentiality and ignoring actuality, allowing us to briefly experience a world of transcendency and imagination. To create this work I took photographs of my classmates through various water-based filters to distort their images, much like what happens in a dream, therefore exploring the metaphysical.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Laurence Demaison.

Photographic print paper

We can see the significance of life and the experiences we encounter through the land we stand on. Terra Firma uses various perspectives to explore the reality of the barren, rural landscape. In the triptych copper plate intaglio etchings I allude to hardships which we have experienced collectively through fires, droughts and floods. I represent the strength within the environment, and the need to be resilient, through abandoned homesteads and desolate, vast landscapes. Contemporary photographic slides represent travel through the landscape as if through an eagle’s eye, providing a visual lens for the audience as they travel across ‘terra firma’.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: John Wolseley, Angus Fisher, Joshua Yeldham.

Copper plate, ink, photographic slides

The concept for my body of work was to explore how individuals live within a family. Using the framing of a triptych I represent separate personalities coexisting as a collective. I have integrated my personal understanding of Australian households and the roles that accentuate the dissonance between each character’s personality. The representation of my family incorporates elements of Christian iconography, using the symbolism of the power of ‘three’ to express a collective identity through individuality. I used printmaking to explore the negative and positive space within a composition and to tell a story which is unique yet familiar.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Vera Zulumovski, Woman with Pasha Bulker; Rew Hanks, Peaches and Cream; Grayson Perry, A Perfect Match; Jan and Hubert van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb).

Lino carving, printing ink on paper

Memories give our lives meaning, depth and significance, which in turn elicit emotions and ground us in reality. Growing up in a world of turmoil and an overdependence on technology means real unedited and unfiltered memories provide constancy in our lives, a reality check of where we’ve come from, who we are now, and where we’re going. My body of work is a contemporary exploration of an unchanging landscape using various printmaking techniques to give rise to multiple textural interpretations and perspectives. It represents the timelessness of memories and the importance they have in shaping our lives.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Susan Hotchkis, Rachel Honnery.

Texture paste, collagraph, drypoint etching

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Patricia Piccinini.

Oil based polymer clay

My intent in my body of work was to explore how plant-like structures can be manipulated to shape and bend their directional growth. Using the malleable properties of wax I melted and shaped ‘branches’ supported with wire bones to build abstract structures that defy nature’s normal patterns, then incorporated elements of wire and bindings to restrict and encourage altered growth. The direction that each branch takes is affected by these constraints just as experiences alter one’s path in life.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Janet Laurence.

Wax, Wire and photograghs

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 artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Ricky Swallow, And The Moment Will Come When Composure Returns, Killing Time, Fearful Symmetry; Paul Kaptein, With the Poise of One Entering a Black Hole For the Third Time, And in the Endless Sounds There Came a Pause, Luxury Problems; Pieter Claesz, Vanitas Still Life; Harmen Steenwyck, Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life.

Jelutong wood

I have explored an expressionist form of portraiture in a non-conventional medium to represent how the influence of the subconscious governs our individual perspectives. For my body of work I followed impulse and instinct, rather than predetermined design. Doing this allowed me to create characters whose features, expressions and personalities were determined by my own subconscious desires. For each viewer, each face will hold a different meaning, disposition and temperament. My intent was to demonstrate and critique the power of our own subconscious and pre-existing dispositions, beliefs and values in creating bias when confronted with ‘the new’ and ‘the different’.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Takashi Murakami, Grayson Perry.

On the cusp of the scientific discoveries of the 18th century, cabinets of curiosities were a precursor to what we now think of as modern museums. They were personal collections of exotic objects (botany, antiquities, astronomy etc), gathered from around the globe that told a story about the world and its history. Grounded in my love for order and categorising, my body of work is a stand-alone interactive sculpture that invites the audience to explore the almost forgotten art of collecting and presenting objects. While it references the scientific method, it also tells a story through themes that resonate personally.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Joseph Cornell, Rosalie Gascoigne, Robert Rauschenberg, Betye Saar.

Mixed Media

The concept for my body of work stemmed from the Australian bushfires and their effect on nature. I find interest in the natural world and how industrialised societies destroy their environment. My work represents the effect human structures have on their environment, where the natural surroundings are pillaged by the development of industrial and domestic architecture. The ceramic pots create the organic shapes and textures of the natural environment while the wood, rope and metal components represent industrial structures. My work comments on the effect of modern society’s inventions and how they mould and reshape the earth.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Anna Whitehouse.

Clay ceramics, wood, metal, and rope

My body of work is about finding my cultural identity. Travelling to central Australia was a major inspiration for my work and the elements embedded in it. Aunties and uncles, especially teacher Maree Warford, introduced me to this medium and it quickly became a focus for my cultural identity. This encouraged me to venture deeper into the various forms of Indigenous art.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Gordon Bennett, Mervyn Bishop, female artists of Mimili Central Australia, Maree Warford.

Raffia, found objects

My aim with Simultaneity is to leave you with more questions than answers. The truth is, we know nothing about anything as our everything could be nothing. So who are we to give answers to the questions life throws at us? Time dictates everything we do. Everything is driven by time, yet we don’t even know what time is. As Aristotle said, ‘Time is the most unknown of all unknown things.’ The more questions you ask, the more questions you will find, and the fewer answers you will have. Good luck finding your way out of this rabbit hole.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: LAPP-PRO (JanLeonardo Woellert and Joerg Miedza); Haines & Hinterding (David Haines and Joyce Hinterding), Carbon Copy Reactor series, Telepathy.

Video

My body of work represents gluttony in contemporary culture. I used stop motion, taking one photo every 6 seconds, and added over 130 individual sound effects and foley sounds. I was influenced by the vanitas style in traditional paintings and contemporary photography as well as a genre of online videos called Mukbang (Korean for ‘eating show’), where people consume massive amounts of food for viewers to watch. My intent is for my work to be alluring yet disturbing; for the viewer to be confronted by the menu, but also relate to it, to see my opinion on greed and vanity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Pes, Reynold Reynolds, Jan Švankmajer.

Stop-motion animation

The Final Act explores the life cycle through ballet: life as a continuous dance. Ballet shoes and ribbon reference delicacy and femininity and the ephemeral nature of humanity, while jewels represent the ever-lasting legacy each individual leaves to the world and future generations. I express continuity between the past and the present by contrasting the use of biro, a contemporary medium, with the traditional hand embroideries, and through the black and white colour palette to represent reminiscence and fading memories. My intent is to suggest that everyone we meet has lived a life we know nothing about.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Michelle Kingdom; Emily Tull; Edgar Degas, The Ballet Class.

Biro, Embroidery cotton on calico fabric

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

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Lee Sol, Jo Elbourne, Tilde Grynnerup.

Wood, embroidery, print, paint, acrylic

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 artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jenny Saville, Propped, Branded; Henry Moore, Reclining Figure, Seated Woman; Venus of Willendorf; Jenny Holzer, Truisms.

Verdigris base with patina on paper clay

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.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Juz Kitson, Ken and Julia Yonetani.

The concept behind my body of work was to use clay forms to explore the beauty of the Australian landscape, and particularly a journey up the coast. As a young girl growing up I spent my holidays at Seal Rocks with my family and my intent was to further explore those memories. My work includes a range of clay making techniques including wheel throwing, coil building and slip casting. My passion for ceramics flourished when I went on a road trip up the west coast and discovered a deeper appreciation for the Australian bush and wildlife.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Robert Gray (poet); Hayley West (ceramicist).

Stoneware Clay

Based on my experiences with swimming, Entropy examines the feelings of anxiety, stress and physical pressure associated with competitive sport. My body of work explores various interpretations of physical and psychological confusion. I used textiles, paint, graphite and ink to represent the sensation of pain, and textiles to express the feeling of being underwater. Through the chaotic drawings and series on wood I investigated the physical exertion of the body. The abstract forms and rough-hewn edges are intended to represent a person whose mental state is in turmoil.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Anselm Kiefer.

Embroidery, oil and acrylic paint, polyester wadding, on calico, tulle, organza, ribbon, graphite pencil on paper, ink pen, burning, carving on wood, acrylic, ink pen on paper

My body of work represents the birth of a new era where dynamic and limitless thinking will shape the future of architecture. Made with laser-cut technology, my works are multi-dimensional, referencing their contemporary context as well as fragments of the past. They explore the dramatic interplay between space and light, with the intent that their abstract forms and delicate shadows create a powerful presence from the auras of individuals, structures and the environment. Powerful yet weightless, reflections of both the viewer and the surrounding landscape can be seen in my work, inspiring a sense of harmony and awareness.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Edoardo Tresoldi, Lucien Hervé, Anish Kapoor, Do Ho Suh, Yuriy Bel’mesov, Griselda Duch.

Perspex, mirrored acrylic

Ignota Vivere (Unknown life) is a series of crocheted sculptures representing imagined marine organisms. It examines the potential for discovery in our oceans. Currently, scientists know of around 226 000 marine species. However, there are anywhere between a few hundred thousand to a few million more to be discovered. In amalgamating the manufactured with the organic I express the power organisms have to adapt to changes in their environment and even thrive under new conditions. In using the form of a museum exhibit my intent is to display the creatures as rare scientific specimens.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Vanessa Barragão, Ana Teresa Barboza, Kirsty Whitlock, El Anatsui, Amy Jones, Lilian Boloney, Jenny Kee, Linda Jackson.

Crocheted yarn attached to metal bike parts, washers, nuts, wire, photography and ink drawings photocopied and reprinted

My body of work, The Pillars of Man, started with a question: What makes a face ‘classic’? To answer this question I combined the modern and the classical in my work to represent contemporary models and historic sculptures. While there was no single answer to my question, I found myself contemplating the concepts of structure, strength and perfection. Structure came through my medium, with the permanence of each pen mark. Strength was expressed through the subjects, whether in stature or physical form. Perfection, naturally, is what I strive for in my work.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, Bust of Neptune; Myron of Eleutherai, Discobolus; Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Saint Longinus.

Pen

My body of work investigates the natural, physical and metaphorical properties of flora as I am attracted to the aesthetics of this subject. The work represents the complexity and interconnectedness of systems in nature by exploring the patterns and repetition I have observed. I used pencil work to express the individual details and vibrancy of the flowers, accentuating the flow and movement of colour across the drawings.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Georgia O'Keeffe, Ellis Rowan, Rachel Ruysch.

Prismacolor and pencil on paper

Surfing and the ocean are some of the most important things in my life so they inspired my body of work. Surfing is not only a place of escape but a lifestyle. My work expresses the idea that surfing has progressed throughout history from being a male pastime to a professional sport, and is now a way of life for all ages and genders. The elements that make this possible are represented in my work, including the surfboard, sand, water and wetsuit, and the mindset that enables us to experience the creations of the ocean.

Graphite pencils

The internet was an escape from reality, but now reality is an escape from the internet. Connection explores the erosion of social connection in a world where smartphones have become all-pervasive. Through my body of work I confront audiences and challenge their endless appetite for digital immersion. My monochromatic digital drawings represent distracted inner-city dwellers detached from their surroundings. My intent is for my work to show digital connectivity as an addiction, to signal a demand that we defend the autonomy of our attention.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists and works: Olga Makarchuk, The Attention Economy; Yu Hong, One Hundred Years of Repose.

Digital drawing on Ilford smooth cotton rag paper

Cambodia appears to be a nation of charming and confounding people, but look deeper and it is a country of contradictions. Light and dark, rich and poor, old and young, traditional and contemporary. Most telling of all is the evidence of the nation’s tragic past set against the splendours of its present. My body of work represents a collection of postcards detailing every aspect of Khmer life, as a tribute to all Cambodians. An offering of pride, a message of hope, with a measure of admiration for my culture and its history. A love letter to the Kingdom of Wonder.

Metal trays, pastel pencils, Stonehenge paper

Reflecting on the past, using the aesthetics of monochrome, I’ve explored the central aspects of South Korean society in my ‘triptych’ body of work. The work represents my personal experiences in South Korea with the title, Origins, emphasising my deep connection to the country. It is my central concept as I spent the first eight years of my life there. The small details integrated into the work are intended to engage the audience to look deeper to find small details and ‘Easter eggs’ that provide slight and subtle insights into my own specific life.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Kim Jung Gi, Tim McDonagh, Shaun Tan.

Alcohol markers on paper

My body of work documents my exploration of the loss inflicted by the 2019 – 20 bushfires. My intent was to understand how this devastation of species and communities has become insignificant, layered below conflicting human narratives surrounding climate change, inaction, risk, future human and environmental needs. I pulped materials from the fires – charcoal, ash, earth, pages of research, newspaper articles – into paper, tonally recreating each area I had visited – the white of ash, black of burnt surroundings. The resulting material tangibly represented my concept, where I could see all the conflicting narratives tangled like marks left on a scribbly gum.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: William Kentridge, Janet Laurence, Martin Bell, Ildiko Kovacs.

Charcoal, pastel, gouache, acrylic, carbon (toner), handmade paper, foraged charcoal, earth, ash, newsprint

Why do I feel at my best when I am under the sea? Sacré is a representation of my human response to being in the ocean: my connection to the ocean and how it makes me feel mentally and physically. My body of work was designed as an immersive installation, set up on the beach to explore the multi-sensory experience of being by the sea. I chose to call it Sacré because being under water, in this way, is a sacred experience for me. It feels like home, my safe place.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of Sculpture by the Sea.

Photographs mounted on acrylic cube light boxes and filmed in situ

My body of work explores the current sense of apathy regarding the climate crisis. Using stop-motion animation I represent two diametrically opposed processes: a manufactured machine that contributes to the ruination of the Earth; and a natural ecosystem that works as a filter and serves to protect the Earth. My intent is to condemn rapacious modern consumerism and its resulting negligence of the exponential degradation of the natural world, and to offer a reminder of the ways in which the Earth works to undo the harm we inflict upon it.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist William Kentridge, Felix in Exile.

Charcoal, paper

Inspired by perspectives and how they affect the expression of emotions, I used techniques of angles and body language in my body of work to represent the negative spaces between social performance and duty. My work explores themes of feminism, domestic stereotypes and mental illness indirectly by using a private setting, where a person is often left to their own thoughts and prospects of nihilism, self-realisation and physical detachment. My intent was to create an intimate and vulnerable conversation between the work and the viewer.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Cristina Troufa, Robert Hannaford.

Charcoal, pastel, acrylic wash on Fabriano paper

My intent in Sunlight Dwells in the Familiar is to celebrate everyday life through a joyous array of vibrant colours. As beings that thrive on variety, it’s natural to become jaded and uninspired in our daily routines. We look forward to events outside the ordinary as an escape from the mundane. My body of work challenges the viewer to admire the beautiful little pockets of sunlight that dwell within their own familiar setting, to be present and recognise the excitement and growth that can be found today, whether you are in a place of familiarity or uncharted territory.

Coloured pencils, pen, ink

Our hands connect us to the world around us. We remain curious about the world, we connect with others. We build, create and leave our mark on the world. But our touch also grants us an ability to hurt and destroy: our ability to build and create comes at a cost to the Earth and its inhabitants. Through the expressive posing of hands and detailed drawing in ballpoint pen, I intend to show the permanence of our lives and the impact we have, not only on the physical Earth but also on others.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Alphonso Dunn, CJ Hendry.

Ballpoint pen on paper

My intent with my body of work was to connect the audience, the work and nature through visual ambiguity. Manipulating the process of cyanotype printing by introducing materials such as cleaning agents, oxides and dirt, I produced gestural prints and photographs that can be seen as abstracted topographical views of Australian landscapes. This gives the audience the power to add their own meaning and imagine their own landscape. Displaying both the cyanotype prints and photographs of the cyanotypes developing in the sun, I express the ever-changing nature of the cyanotype as a parallel with our ever-changing climate.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Benjamin Björklund.

Cyanotype

My body of work examines my personal experience of moving countries. I have had to dismantle, re-shape and build up my life again, making it a jumble of identity, culture and expectations. My work combines aesthetics and conventions to explore how I’ve constructed identity from influences such as memories, people, language or the environment. The birds represent my struggle with these changes; they migrate and travel, yet they grow and are nurtured in a stationary nest. Representing these different houses as travelling machines expresses how my ‘nests’ have had to become mobile in order to meet my changing identity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Shaun Tan, Salvador Dali, William Kentridge.

Graphite on paper

My body of work is a representation of the duality present in human society, and the blending of polar opposites. The individual meaning of each piece, however, much like tarot cards, is up to your interpretation.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Kim Krans, The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck; Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; soresaki [@sa_ka_na_4]; Claude Monet; Vanessa Stockhard; kamo [@kamochiruu].

Digital art, printed on cardstock paper

I’ve always been passionate about stories that combine a modern urban setting with fantasy elements. The setting and characters in my body of work are part of a personal project which I have expressed online, and my process of creation was inspired by the community of online digital comic artists who explore similar passions. I experimented with several palettes and poses until I arrived at something I’m happy with. Overall, this was a special work for me.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Devin Elle Kurtz, Kōhei Horikoshi.

iPad with Apple Pencil, on Procreate®