The Seed of Life

Glass installation, 2024

Seven small cast seeds with tree branch; three large cast seeds

Rooted in field watercolour sketches and subsurface sound recordings made while kayaking in the Barwon Estuary, Victoria, Australia, The Seed of Life explores the feminine form of the mangrove propagule through cast recycled glass, expressing birth, regeneration, hope and resilience.

These works express a profound sense of belonging to the mangroves as a spiritual home.

Over three years of kayaking among mangrove forests, I observed and sketched the development of a mangrove shoot emerging from a seed. I also cultivated a germinating seed in a glass jar in my studio, allowing me to observe its development closely.

Through sustained practice—including kayaking, observing, sketching, painting, carving wax and casting—I developed an intimate connection with the mangroves. The ten cast seeds in this work embody this process. The mangrove seed symbolises birth, renewal, hope and the beginning of life.

The use of recycled glass, with its natural bubbles and skin-like surface, reflects seeds growing within mangrove waterways, evokes a connection with the human form, and reinforces the relationship between material and environment.

My journey with glass began under the guidance of Lienors Torre and developed further during a residency at Pilchuck Glass School in the United States, supported by Deakin University.