Image above: The Bush Custodians bronze each figure 270 x 180 x 250cm.
Congratulations to Camie Lyons, who has been awarded a Highly Commended acknowledgement for her work The Bush Custodians, shown in the 2023 Sculpture in the Garden at Wollongong Botanic Garden.
The Bush Custodians began as an investigation of the figure in relation to its landscape. They are cast from branches collected by the artist during long walks in the bush. Their forms are beautifully inscribed with the distinctive gum bark patterning of the natural growth of the tree and the bugs that inhabit it. I imagine these custodians wandering the land in search of answers for why their wilderness home has diminished. They invite us to walk with them and find new solutions for a sustainable future, for our green spaces and our precious wild places.
Camie Lyons holds a Master of Fine Arts and has been exhibiting for 20 years, with numerous solo shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hong Kong and Singapore including at the Australian High Commission and a solo regional show at Bathurst Regional AG.
Recent commissions include the Langham in Qld, the AMP Capitol Building, the Hilton and Tiffany’s in Sydney’s CBD. Lyons has created public works for Waverley Council, City of Sydney Council, for Hoi Ha Wan Marine reserve in Hong Kong and in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her creations can be found in public and private collections in Australia and around the globe. Lyons continues to explore and develop her arts practice, connecting her past physicality as a dancer to the very physical act of making sculpture.
Sculpture in the Garden takes place every two years at Wollongong Botanic Garden, and includes 23 thought-provoking sculptures from local, national and international artists.
2023 Sculpture in the Garden
Wollongong Botanic Garden
18 March – 30 April
Camie Lyons with The Bush Custodians.