STORY SEEDS INSPIRATION

For many years, I have created tall, durable metal flowers; artworks that celebrate the resilience and beauty of women and nature. These large-scale sculptures stand in public spaces across Western Australia and internationally, representing endurance and strength.

I now turn to the seed — fragile, small and full of potential. Story Seeds shifts the focus from resilience to hope, from strength to the promise of growth. Seeds embody the stories women carry: knowledge to be preserved, wisdom to be passed on, and hope for the future. The project will be created with regional communities across WA, inspired by my residencies in Wiluna, Kalgoorlie, and Norseman, where I witnessed the creativity and resilience of people in remote areas.

The Project

At its heart, Story Seeds begins with women shaping clay seeds with their hands, embedding contemporary and historical stories of preservation, resilience, and hope for the future. Where possible, clay and soil will be sourced locally, grounding the work in place.

From these seeds, a large spiral form will unfurl across the ground, created collectively by the community. Participants of all ages will add to the spiral with natural materials — gathered seeds, leaves, ochres, stones, and footprints — weaving their contributions into a shared whole. From above, the spiral resembles a living galaxy. Over time, it dissolves back into the land as a collective act of return and renewal. Community workshops will combine clay gathering, seed-making, story-sharing and pit firing the clay seeds.

Women’s voices will be recorded, carrying short excerpts that speak of knowledge, resilience, and hope for the future in relation to their seed creations. These voices will later form part of the soundscape for an immersive exhibition. The project will culminate in a major exhibition in Perth, followed by a regional tour.

The different coloured clay seeds will be grouped by community and laid out in spirals across the gallery floor. Visitors will walk the installation as they would a spiral path, surrounded by: Soundscapes of women’s voices, drone projections of spirals on the land and fragments of text etched, printed, or suspended like windborne seeds, experiencing a chorus of women’s voices woven into art, memory, and future possibility.

This approach allows the artworks to live twice: first as ephemeral spirals returning to the earth, and later as a collective installation sharing women’s voices and stories.

I will collaborate with women and families in each community, ensuring their hands and voices shape the work. Local assistants and facilitators will be engaged to support workshops, and a WA-based filmmaker/photographer will document the spirals, aerial footage, and interviews with participants.