I have been selected as a finalist in this year’s Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize with my work Daphne.

Daphne was inspired by the Laurel tree in the Portland Botanical Gardens and the myth of Apollo and Daphne that has been interpreted widely in art and literature. According to myth, Daphne is transformed into a Laurel tree so she can escape the advances of Apollo. In the words of Andrew Marvell:

                                                The Gods, that mortal Beauty chase,

                                                Still in a Tree did end their race.

                                                Apollo hunted Daphne so,

                                                Only that She might Laurel grow.

                                                                                    The Garden 1681

This myth is pertinent in a contemporary environmental context where recognition of our relationship with the natural world and the interconnectedness of all life forms underpin the development of solutions to current issues.