A homage to indigenous connection and an invitation for reconnection
As a multicultural society, we all bring different cultures and perspectives. And sometimes we become disconnected from belonging.
These totemic spirit figures embody the spirit of all indigenous ancestry and are an invitation for us to consider our own origins, our connection to nature, our responsibilities to learn about and care for this country and to respect the knowledge of our indigenous people.
This set of 12 Spirit Figure totemic sculptures were originally created as the second set of guardians for the Wild Temple of Yam, and are intended to embody the spirit of reconnection, transporting us back to our ancestral lands and native connection to ‘earth’.
Totemic Spirit Figures are a waste-to-art project. Each sculpture is created out of stacked recycled flower pots, djembes, urns, vases, timber and other found materials. They are glued together with liquid nails, painted with acrylic paint and sealed with a waterproof gloss sealer. Each sculpture features hand-made or found accessories relevant to their characteristics.
Spirit Figure totemic sculptures exhibited at
Good Space Gallery, Broadway, January 2023
Ku-Ring-Gai Wildflower Gardens Sculpture Trail, September 2022. Awarded 2nd prize.
Koala is a pretty sleepy dude and slightly stoned most of the time on eucalyptus oil. He’s most comfortable surrounded by branches and sports a handsome stick skirt.Kangaroo stands tall in the long grass with her powerful legs and pointed ears. A cute, protective mother, she’s flighty with a look of permanent surprise and a lovely soft, comfy pouch for her babies to ride in.Quoll is the hunter goddess of the night. She’s cute as a button but don’t let her toothy grin fool you. She’s a super vicious merciless killer who wears trophies from her victims on her belt and in her feather headdress.Possum is the queen of the night time treetops. Pretty as a picture and quite the fashionista, Possum rocks an Elizabethan stick collar and a lovely faux fur cloak.While Crocodile is the alpha predator, he’s also a pretty laid back, kinda lazy sort of guy. He only goes hunting when he has to, but it’s hardly any effort for this guy so he’s like a chilled out Rasta man, lazing in the sun on the banks of the river most of the time.At the top of the food chain, Dingo is the king of all he surveys. A friendly, benevolent leader, he loves to pad across the sand and thrives in the hot sun.Loud and flamboyant, Cockatoo loves to show off his beautiful bold colours. He also likes to feast on seed pods and make a big mess.Echidna is a well armoured, slow rambler who loves to poke about grubbing for ants and digging up yummy insects with his super strong claws.Wombat is a chilled out dude who lives in the snow country. He likes mountains, snow and alpine flowers.Quiet and secretive, Platypus spends his time swimming in the river and snuffling amongst the rocks on the riverbed looking for yummy things to eat.When Frilled Neck Lizard’s feeling threatened (or there’s a lady he wants to impress), he pulls himself up tall and puts on a magnificent frilly display! Then he bolts so fast you can hardly see him.Tall and proud, Emu likes to strut her stuff and show off her plumage. Never very sure what she’s looking at, she swivels her double-sided head right around. She looks at you first with one eye, then the other, to check if she’s seeing the same thing through both eyes.
[…] of temple guardians in response to the theme of the Wild Yam festival: Circus prop characters and Spirit Figure totemic sculptures. In 2019 for ‘GodYam‘, the ‘guardians’ were prayer […]
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[…] of temple guardians in response to the theme of the Wild Yam festival: Circus prop characters and Spirit Figure totemic sculptures. In 2019 for ‘GodYam‘, the ‘guardians’ were prayer […]
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