Judges Comment: "‘This is a quirky and reductive interpretation of a banksia seedpod, banksia inflorescence, and tea-tree flower, with a seductive tension between matte, glossy, smooth, and rough surfaces. As a collective, these character-filled forms stand as sentinels, still-life objects, and floral emblems. Though they are decorative, might they also remind us of greater ecological and environmental imperatives?
Judges Comment: "‘Mushrooms in Wonderland’ is a whimsical ceramic piece showing a high level of technical facility and imagination, created with a nod to Lewis Carrol and—though we can’t claim to remember this given our ‘tripping’ days—the 60s ‘Summer of Love’. Yes, this is a decorative artwork, but the title suggests there are broader literary and cultural references in play, with any number of possible readings when it comes to the politics of drugs, love, war, consumerist values, spirituality, and hallucinatory and meditative practices: there may be more in the basket than meets the eye!"
Judges Comment: "This is an inventive fusion of both form and function, showing a strong mastery of wood turning and carving techniques. It’s an elegant work highlighting the natural beauty of wood.
