2024 Finalists Revealed for the 23rd Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize
Published on 15 August 2024
Main image: Nathan Beard, Tropical Flesh (vii), 2023
Woollahra Council proudly announces the finalists for the 23rd Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Australia’s most prestigious award for small-scale sculpture. This year's finalists, representing a rich tapestry of artistic innovation and hailing from every Australian state and territory as well as overseas, will be on display at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf in a free exhibition running from 13 September to 20 October 2024, with all sculptures on sale to the public.
The eagerly anticipated winning sculpture will be announced at the opening ceremony on 12 September.
From a pool of 751 entries, 59 exceptional works have been selected by a distinguished judging panel comprising Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Old and New Art, Jarrod Rawlins, Executive Director of Arts Project Australia, Liz Nowell, and Art Gallery of New South Wales Curator, First Nations Art, Erin Vink.
Diverse Mediums
Sculptures shortlisted in 2024 span a variety of mediums, including clay, silk, porcelain, glass, ceramic, wood, silicone and more, with works that delve into themes of dystopian futures, authoritarianism and the aesthetics of power, bodily memory, disability pride, folklore, fantasy, kin, cultural inheritance, and the intersection of tradition and modernity. Using diverse mediums to provoke thought and engage with contemporary issues and experiences, this year's works reflect personal and collective narratives, materiality, and the human condition.
"Each year, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize boasts a cornucopia of creative approaches to materiality and form whilst capturing the pulse of contemporary issues, interests and trends," said Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf Director, Pippa Mott.
"Glass is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, emerging as a counterpart to ceramic; found materials complement industrial and artisanal craftsmanship; and a swell of absurdity co-exists with analytical and formalist approaches. In these troubled times, a number of works evoke protection – both structural and spiritual – whilst others embody community, culture, or nostalgia."
A Great Privilege
"It is our great privilege to host Australia’s pre-eminent award for small sculpture at our Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf," adds Woollahra Mayor, Councillor Richard Shields.
"It’s always an absolute pleasure to engage with all of the finalists’ works and see the incredible diversity of ideas on show. We look forward to sharing them with our community and visitors at this year’s exhibition."
Judge's Comments
Reflecting on the selection process this year and the breadth of finalists selected, the 2024 judging panel provided these insights:
Art Gallery of New South Wales Curator, First Nations Art, Erin Vink said:
"For this year's Small Sculpture Prize, we noticed that the artistic cohort shared interests in the experimentation of mediums; there were nods to retro futuristic technology and aesthetics, and a shared consciousness around the perilous state of the world and what it means to make sculpture right now. There were also energetic, jovial works that reflect the joy of making."
Executive Director of Arts Project Australia, Liz Nowell said:
"The chosen works represent a diverse range of materials and conceptual approaches, reflecting the breadth of contemporary sculptural practice. Each work stands out not only for its artistic merit but also for its ability to inspire contemplation, present new ideas and engage viewers."
Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Old and New Art, Jarrod Rawlins said:
"The vast number of entries that we reviewed were intriguing and it was a very enjoyable process. Congratulations to everyone who entered. The WSSP has a special place in the history of Australian sculpture and we are very much looking forward to the final stage of assessing the winners in September."
Entry Highlights
Select highlights include:
Nathan Beard’s Tropical Flesh (vii), 2023 explores the artist’s diasporic identity through silicone casts of Thai fruits, including durian husks and bananas, alongside his aunt's hands. Reflecting on temporal dislocation and family connection, the work pointedly contrasts this visibly aged figurative element alongside the rot and the decay of fruits which act as reliable markers of seasonal time within their tropical climates.
Chantal Fraser’s Fantômas Silver, 2023 transforms a welder's helmet with rhinestones, questioning power aesthetics and the performative nature of safety and authority. A Brisbane-based Sāmoan artist, Fraser's interdisciplinary works span moving image and sculpture, addressing materiality and identity.
Chantal Fraser, Fantômas Silver, 2023
Grace Hasu Dlabik’s IVOSA & GOAVA, 2024 comprises a series of vessels created with traditional firing methods and symbolising her great-grandmothers from Papua New Guinea, as well as the womb and notions of child bearing and the embodiment of life. An interdisciplinary artist, and
founder of global creative collective BE and creative agency BE. ONE, Dlabik’s works explore cultural heritage and community care.
Hannah Gartside’s #19 from Bunnies in Love Lust and Longing, 2024 repurposes second-hand gloves into bunny sculptures, reflecting personal and communal experiences. A Melbourne-based artist, whose work has previously been exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria and Institute of Modern Art, Gartside's fabric sculptures convey emotions of longing and tenderness.
Hannah Gartside, #19 (Series title Bunnies in Love, Lust and Longing), 2024
Sara Morawetz’s To Measure the Stars, 2023 from Brass Constellation II uses brass folding rulers to create fictional constellations, exploring the arbitrariness of cosmic framing. A conceptually driven artist, Morawetz collaborates with institutions like MIT and NASA, and her internationally exhibited works examine the processes of scientific action.
James Nguyen’s Substitute//Substrate, 2024 addresses themes of cultural erasure by replicating Vietnamese heritage bowls and vases using museum wax. A Melbourne-based Vietnam-born artist, Nguyen's decolonial works have been globally exhibited and focus on the reclaiming of Vietnamese identity, and recognition of Vietnamese ceramic traditions.
Kien Situ’s Shanshui (Column), 2022 combines Chinese Mo ink and gypsum cement, and mixes elements of architectural practice with geological topography. With the exterior column encompassing a shadowy and cavernous central space, this work explores the pursuit of the void and the invisible material between tangible forms. An Australian multidisciplinary artist, Situ's works span architecture and sculpture, addressing themes of matter and time.
Grace Lee’s Limestone Cupboard for a Boiled Egg, 2023 venerates the ordinary boiled egg within a chiselled stone cupboard - the cupboard's hard, surface and agelessness bringing out the beauty of the soft and ephemeral boiled egg. Lee's practice emphasises the beauty in everyday moments, creating bespoke furniture and handcrafted objects to foster social interactions.
Grace Lee, Limestone Cupboard for a Boiled Egg, 2023
Prizes
Since its inception in 2001, the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize has been recognised as Australia’s premier award for small-scale sculpture. It stands as the first national acquisitive prize for original sculptures up to 80cm in any dimension. The prize categories include the main Acquisitive award of $25,000, a Special Commendation award of $2,000, the Mayor's Award of $1,000, and the Viewers’ Choice award of $1,000.
This year's winning sculpture will be announced on 12 September 2024, with the Viewers’ Choice award announced on 23 October. The exhibition will also be supported by a program of artist talks and workshops. For more information visit: woollahragallery.com.au.