The gravity of hope
Japanese paper and wire, charcoal and soil from the forest, acrylic, gold foil
200 x 60cm
Finalist Burrinja Climate Change Biennale 2026
Carrying the weight of grief and fear, recovering from natural disasters and worrying about what is to come, we search for moments of solace and beauty and hope.
Collecting charcoal from the fire ground in Montrose, and soil from giant mountain ash root balls of Mount Dandenong to make paint, I sit and breathe in the saturated colours of sprouting re-growth. The change over time seem miraculous, and when the late afternoon sun shines on the broken and burnt branches, they shimmer like golden chandeliers.
Of all the things we carry, I wonder if hope is the lightest.
Here are the many steps to making this sculpture:
 Sketch book and process experiments |  Fire ground and storm damage, making paint, painstaking pattern painting |  Making the leaves and final details |
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