I was part of a collaborative art exhibition, 'Onion Reality,' which was organised as part of the Emerge 2017 arts program. The theme for the exhibition, was vulnerability. Each of the 15 participating artists was tasked with interpreting this theme through their chosen medium.
'Emerge 2017' was a platform for emerging artists living with disability, organised under the guidance of George Tillianakis and Liam Benson. Supported by Frontup, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Accessible Arts, this program aimed to provide a voice to new artists and enable them to showcase their creativity to a broader audience.
I decided to experiment with a medium I had never used before: eggshells. There was something poetic about the fragility of eggshells that resonated with the theme of vulnerability. I saw the potential to express this delicate quality in a way that was both thought-provoking and visually beautiful.
Creating a sculpture made entirely of eggshells might sound unusual, but I felt that the fragility and delicacy of eggshells served as a perfect metaphor for the theme of vulnerability. Just as a person's emotions and psyche can be as fragile as an eggshell, this sculpture aimed to capture that essence.
Crafting my eggshell sculpture was a time-consuming process that demanded unwavering patience. I painstakingly gathered numerous eggshells, meticulously cleaned and prepped them, and then meticulously assembled them into a sculptural shape enveloping a Styrofoam head. I later removed the Styrofoam using acetone to create a hollow shell.
Intriguingly, during the removal of the Styrofoam, a moment of uncertainty arose. The sculpture began to lose its structural integrity, and in my attempt to stabilize it, my hand inadvertently punctured the back of the head. This unforeseen turn of events felt like a perfect metaphor for the theme I was exploring.
Art has the unique ability to engage viewers on an emotional level and prompt deep contemplation. My experience with 'Onion Reality' and the creation of my eggshell sculpture allowed me to explore vulnerability in a novel and impactful way. It was a journey of self-discovery and artistic growth that has left an indelible mark on my creative process.