Large Koala Bear – Shattered Foundations

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Media: Clay and glaze.

Size: 36 cm by 26 cm by 20 cm (14 inch by 10 inch by 8 inch).

Description: In late 2019/early 2020 the world looked on in horror as Australia burned for weeks. Vast areas were consumed by fire and the wildlife was left devastated. Nearly 3 billion animals – mammals, reptiles, birds and frogs – were killed or displaced. The cracks that appear on the base of this sculpture represent the way these bushfires shattered the very foundation of the koalas’ existence. It has been repaired using an approach called Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending it with gold lacquer. Kintsugi highlights the fragility of existence, acknowledging and highlighting the breakages, the repair, and celebrates a kind of rebirth. I thought this was a perfect metaphor for the plight of endangered wildlife, its history and a glimmer of hope that we, the human race, can mend our relationship with nature if only we have the will to do so.