Koala Teddy
23cm x 18.5cm x 16cm
Acrylic on ceramic
2022

This ceramic sculpture was created during a studio residency at Pentridge in Coburg, Melbourne, a site that from 1851 until 1997 was a functioning prison.

The sculpture is based on a koala teddy that was made by a Pentridge prisoner in 1962 as part of the Pentridge Toy Makers, a group that encouraged prisoners who were interested in arts and craft to produce toys for children in need.

The koala teddy serves as a little beacon for the transformational experience of creating art, and is a hopeful indication of what’s possible when we shift from reprehension to rehabilitation.

This piece was a finalist in the 2023 Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award.