Sonja Carmichael

Sonja Carmichael's ‘Talwalpin durenma dutta’, 2026 (Hibiscus tilliaceus cotton tree grows strong) is a prominent statement at the heart of Brisbane (Magandjin)’s city. As a senior Ngugi Quandamooka woman, Carmichael is a leader in the regeneration of weaving practice and is known for her intricately woven artworks which often incorporate recycled materials washed up on the shores of homeland, Quandamooka Country.

‘Talwalpin durenma dutta’ transforms Carmichael’s woven practice at a significant scale, taking the form of the Talwalpin or native cotton tree, a spreading plant found along mangroves and estuaries with bark which is commonly used for string making and weaving. Standing proudly at the entrance of 400 George Street, the artwork was commissioned by Cromwell Property Group for the building’s lobby revitalisation led by Woods Bagot and Shape Australia. Responding to the vitality of the Talwalpin, the artwork symbolises the redevelopment’s ethos of merging nature with the built environment and responds to Brisbane’s continually evolving urban landscape.

Bringing ‘Talwalpin durenma dutta’ to life required meticulous planning and fabrication expertise. At over 10 meters tall, the sculpture was entirely sand-cast in bronze, assembled and finished with hand-applied patina. Referencing the interconnected branches of Talwalpin, it comprises a series of vines which ascend the building’s cement column as if woven together Each vine was moulded using foam tubes on the foam structure and then plasticine was applied to replicate the texture and knots found in a Talwalpin branch. The vines were then assembled atop a complex foam structure to support the sculpture’s arrangement prior to being cast.

The vines are adorned by dilly bags which reference Carmichael’s prolific weaving practice. Hand-woven by Carmichael in rope at UAP’s workshop, the bags were carefully translated to bronze by our skilled fabrication team. Each bag was cast in bronze and intricately finished to remove excess bronze prior to applying patina. In addition to the sculptural form, 25 Talwalpin leaves were fabricated in brass and inlayed within the ground at the artwork’s base to mimic fallen leaves.