Wilburra Estate on the NSW South Coast hosted the first weekend of the biennial sculpture exhibition, Sculpture in the Valley. The private property in Barrengarry, Kangaroo Valley was made available to over 100 sculptures which have been installed through the gardens. The exhibition is a wonderful success for the organisers Arts in the Valley and feedback from the audience who attended over the weekend was overwhelmingly positive.
Peter Garrett at the opening of Sculpture in the Valley 2023, Kangaroo Valley Photo: Katie Rivers
“The weather was gorgeous, and it was such a lovely event to enjoy with friends. It was so well organised” Karen Jarrett, Sculpture in the Valley attendee reported. The event will go ahead again this weekend on the 16th and 17th of September for an entry fee of $10, with children free to enter. The venue is high up on a hill at the west end of the valley, with superb views. Attendees can park their cars at the foot of the hill and take a ride up in courtesy shuttle buses to the exhibition. With beautiful spring weather predicted for the upcoming weekend organisers are looking forward to another weekend filled with art, food and music.
Children getting up close to Greer Taylor’s work ‘Collecting Tears’ Photo Kat Beavis
For those who attended on the first weekend, they witnessed Peter Garrett open the exhibition and announce the winners and the highly commended. After much deliberation, the judges Janet Laurence and Michael Snape had decided where the $38,500 in prize money would go. Outdoor Sculpture winner, with a prize of $20,000 is Akira Kamada’s work Birth. The judges described the work as simultaneously physically present and ephemeral. The large work is a suspended nest of interwoven organic materials, including bamboo, discarded local grapevines, wire, recycled copper wire, and twine. It reflects Kamada’s creative background in responding to the natural environment through his lived experience in Japan and now Jervis Bay, as a zen garden designer and a ceramicist
Outdoor Sculpture winner, Akira Kamada with work called Birth. Photo: Stuart McCreery
“I was so surprised, I couldn’t believe I’d won from a field of so many amazing works.” Kamada reflected on his win.
Outdoor Highly Commended was awarded to South Coast artist Greer Taylor for 'collecting tears' a beautiful work between the natural world and the artist, around the area of grief. The works has also been a crowd favourite with people able to interact and lightly touch the work up close.
‘I wanted to create a work that was acknowledging the grief that we all experienced during the fires,’ says Taylor.
The indoor sculpture winner with a prize of $7,000 was Central Tablelands sculptor Ingrid Morley with her four ceramic pieces in the series ‘Tall Tales’. The judges describe it as an evocative and poetic work that shows gentle mastery of the ceramic process.
Indoor Highly Commended, was awarded to Newcastle artist Edwardo Milan for his work ‘Moment’ a sculptural montage that plays between imagery and materiality, an eloquent sculptural conversation.
Curator for the exhibition and past winner, David Ball, describes the Kangaroo Valley venue as an extraordinarily lovely space for this quality sculpture show. ‘You'll get good work here straight from the artist.’
The exhibition is on again this weekend at Wilburra Estate, 32 Smarts Rd Barrengarry Kangaroo Valley. The exhibition is open Saturday 16th 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday 10 am - 2 pm. We are expecting a wonderful warm spring day so be sure to pack your water bottle.
To pre-book tickets and for more details visit www.artsinthevalley.net.au/sculpture