Floating work to go on show at awards

A LOCAL sculptor’s work is on display today in Victoria’s north east as part of non-profit Yarra Valley Arts’ annual Sculpture Exhibition and Awards.

Mary van den Broek is one of nearly 60 finalists in the awards for her piece called Spheniscidae Waddle.

She said the work, which depicts 18 penguins, continues her exploration of floating artworks.

“I’ve got a bit of a history of using water as a medium because I think water’s the most important thing in the world,” she said.

“I had a piece previously called Staying Afloat which was a map of the world made out of cork in the shape of a boat and it floated.

“This is another environmental work. I’ve always been fascinated with penguins, and the last fail of the emperor penguins to reproduce. How I’ve situated this on the pond is like an exclamation mark.”

With 15 years’ experience creating as a sculptor, van den Broek received her Master of Fine Art at in 2014.

The nominated piece took about two months of non-consecutive work to create and is produce of COVID lockdowns.

A five-time nominee in the awards in the past decade, van den Broek said she always enjoys displaying her art in the competitions that’s held at Yering Station winery each year.

“The setting’s lovely and when you’re making art it’s good to have it somewhere where people can appreciate it. It’s a language you use to talk to people,” she said.

“It’s doing the work in what I call my shed that I really enjoy and there’s a weight in getting it situated exactly where I wanted it.”

The exhibition, at Yering Station, will close on Sunday 3 December.