Kabi Kabi Country (Sunshine Coast)

Artwork outcomes, resulting from Kilagi Nielsen, Liz Capelin, Melissa Stannard and Mia Hacker's roles as Carbon_Dating native grass carers, working with documentary artist Sasha Parlett of Red Handed Productions.

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Carbon_Dating, Sunshine Coast, Kabi Kabi Country (Documentary, 7min40s), Sasha Parlett/Red Handed Productions, 2023
Sasha's video is an investigation of the rich spread of ideas, and the ethic of care, that foregrounded the Carbon_Dating Sunshine Coast teams' creative process over the summer of 2022/3. It was the thinking in this video that inspired the Sunshine Coast artists' works - see them detailed on this page after this video.

Baelele + Fascinator, Kilagi Nielsen, 2023
"In my exploration of weaving techniques, I have delved into the world of natural fibres, specifically focusing on the utilisation of kangaroo grass alongside the familiar Lomandra fibre. Through this experimentation, I have crafted a wearable art accessory in the form of a fascinator hairpiece. Working with the Kangaroo Grass fibre has provided me with a fresh and exciting material to weave with. By intertwining it with the Lomandra fibre, I have sought to create a harmonious fusion of textures and colours. The process of processing this new natural fibre has unveiled its inherent characteristics, revealing its strength, flexibility, and occasional brittleness. To achieve the desired outcome, I meticulously tested various samples of different growth stages and ultimately concluded that the younger and fresher growth possessed the ideal qualities for my weaving.In this particular creation, I made a deliberate choice to retain the seed heads of the Kangaroo grass. By doing so, I aim to showcase the complete growth process of this particular grass species, capturing its essence and imparting a sense of organic beauty to the final piece.

The presence of these seed heads serves as a design detail that sparks curiosity and invites the viewer to contemplate the life cycle and transformation of the grass.Through this wearable art accessory, I invite the audience to appreciate the intricate relationship between nature, craftsmanship, and design. It is my hope that this piece not only celebrates the natural materials sourced from Kabi Kabi Country but also serves as a reminder of our connection to the environment and the importance of preserving and honouring the resources it provides". [Kilagi Nielsen, 2023]

Prints


Materials:
- A circle series of 15 x A5 eco-dyed paper works, harvested and boiled
Measurements:
900mm x 900mm 

Sculptural Object
Materials:
- Natural grown and harvested Kangaroo Grass and Lomandra from Kabi Kabi Country
Measurements:
300mm x 300mm approx.

Held, Liz Capelin, 2023
"Throughout the Carbon Dating project I’ve been captivated by grass seeds: their shape and movement, sometimes graceful and flowing, at other times jutting and severe architectural form, their delicate tenacity in the landscape. Seed was also the key botanical feature through which I could identify and differentiate our chosen species and confront my grass-blindness.  Experimenting with clay impressions was initially a means to observe the seed more closely and compare them - to see their structure and clustered detail in relief.  Pushing the specimens into the damp medium of earth naturally evolved into a simple yet meaningful concept for Held: the seed impressions are upon the three vases, which are vessels waiting to hold, their emptiness not an absence but patient willingness and future intent. I thought about seeds as physical and metaphorical vessels of continuance and survival, of evolutionary genetic information being passed through time and carried forward.  I reflected on the social ecology of seeds as knowledge holders and sharers, of waiting patiently for the right conditions or relationships via which knowledge is passed and held, of the dormancy and protection of knowledge when conditions are safe or the timing not ready.

As a plant throws seed, or a person offers ideas or practices, is this not an action of trust, hope and generosity to the future? I reflected on what it is to be held, of holding space for my co-collaborators, of being held by the land and sky at Tuan Environmental Reserve on the Sunshine Coast on Kabi Kabi Country, of holding my own attentive curiosity in order to be a vessel for new learnings, and the importance of holding onto knowledge and hope for future generations. The black internal glaze on the vases was added before the second and final firing to symbolize the scorched country after a cultural burn, priming the was for regeneration and continuance". [Liz Capelin, 2023]

Ceramic Objects


Materials:
- Ceramic, imprinted with seed heads from Themeda triandra, Cymbogogan refractus and Capillipedium spicigerum
Measurements:
1. 210mm x 80mm, 2. 150mm x 75mm, 3. 125mm x 50mm

dhunbarr warranggal garrar, Melissa Stannard, 2023
"Conversations with native grasses in liminal spaces
Roadside verges resilient and overlooked they grow .. almost overtaken by introduced pests and other species, not of here but now deeply rooted and often smothering that which was before. But still they grow and flourish if your eyes are attuned you'll notice.

Utilising a collaboration with nature ...
the sun, space and time..collecting the traces and stories of plants and places important to me for #winangali time
Of deep listening
Of walking and noticing
Of pauses in a hurried world.
These prints onto fabric in tones of blue trace shadows of objects, soft layers of stories and belonging.
Blueprints originally used for architecture and marking out foundations of colonial buildings
Now used to tell the stories embedded within the land, across our non linear space and time
Echoes of grindstones moving amongst happy voices, of laughter and sharing of stories
Women gathering grasses with potent strengths inside .. nourishment and nurture.
Winnowing ..
Letting that which no longer belongs or is of use just float away on the breeze to feed back into the soil nearby.. heavy seeds drop to be collected..some fly off on gentle breezes to propagate further afield.
Nothing wasted
Deft hands
Watchful eyes
A knowing rhythm
A dance of cultivation and culture
Skills handed down like poetry
Interwoven through the everyday moments
My hands gather the grasses..collecting noticing the fine details and sculptural beauty that points to the seeds ..tiny delicate and robust.
A deep respect for the work undertaken to gather these seeds in enough volume to bake into bread dense in nutrients shared amongst family.. and not #family as we see it today but ties that bind us together leaving no one lost or disconnected
Gathered family not just blood ties but deeper cultural familial connections
Gathered together just like the grasses and seeds
Sharing work, wisdom and love.
The interconnectedness of people and place
We were scattered like seeds and ripped from places of long belonging
But we are resilient and still grow even if its on the verges and liminal spaces
Pushed out or disconnected from homelands
We can and do still flourish and nurture through every season in space and time.

Warranggal (strong powerful) garaarr (grass) dhunbarr garrar (grass seed)". [Melissa Stannard, 2023]

Ceramic Objects


Materials:
- Cyanotypes, soda ash, plant dyes, cloth, patch/stitch work, jewellery, poetry
Measurements:
Various

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Whispers on the Wind, Mia Hacker, 2023
"In my artistic practice, I am deeply drawn to connecting with the natural elements that influence the growth and vitality of kangaroo grass. This particular project allowed me to delve into the essence of this plant, its surroundings, and the intricate relationships it shares with the environment. Through an immersive creative process, I sought to capture the profound connection between the grass, the soil it thrives in, and the elements that shape its existence.

To embark on this artistic journey, I dedicated time to engage with the place and the tangible aspects that resonate with my senses. I embraced the opportunity to feel, smell, and touch the elements surrounding the kangaroo grass, allowing them to guide my artistic expression. Utilising the soil in which the grass flourishes, I let the gentle breeze delicately transport it onto paper. The strokes and marks left behind were then meticulously recorded using a water pen. As the warm afternoon sunshine bathed the paper, the simultaneous drying and transformational process began, facilitated by the evaporation and absorption of the water. By immersing myself in close proximity to the soil, I endeavoured to tap into the energy and goodness that enfold the grass plants. Through this intimate connection, I sought to understand and visually convey the profound harmony and balance that exists within the natural world".

In essence, my artwork encapsulates a celebration of the intertwined energies that shape the growth and vitality of Kangaroo grass. Through a sensory exploration and a deep-rooted connection to place, I strive to evoke a profound appreciation for the harmonious relationship between nature and art. [Mia Hacker, 2023]

Painting
Materials:
- Paper, watercolour, soil, organic materials
Measurements:
440mm x 350mm