Penny Evans

Wadhangarii is a public artwork by K/Gamilaroi artist Penny Evans. Her practice, spanning over 35 years, is rooted in Country, kinship, and cultural memory. Working primarily with ceramics, mixed media, and organic materials, Evans uses art as a form of truth-telling, honouring ancestral practices while exploring contemporary narratives of resilience, survival, and healing. Her connection to clay and natural materials links her to the earth and long-standing traditions, drawing intuitive parallels to the ceremonial practices of her ancestors.

The sculpture’s name, Wadhangarii, is a Dharawal word for the Coastal Banksia. The Banksia flower was historically used to extract sweet nectar, to transport fire across Country, and to provide warmth in the bush. Evans’ work reimagines the plant as a sentinel, embodying cultural values inherent in the land. The artwork takes the form of a figure, with one stem-like arm pointing inland toward women’s Country, sandstone escarpments, and birthing places, while the other, shaped like a swamp banksia leaf, stretches toward the harbour, evoking saltwater economies, canoes, and shared histories.

Commissioned by Woollahra Council with support from government funding, the work was developed through a collaborative process between Evans, curator Dakota Dixon, and our Brisbane team. Dixon worked closely with the artist and local communities to shape a brief that reflected both cultural depth and local identity. The final design balances grandness with subtlety, aligning with the council’s vision for a sculpture that resonates with the community while honouring Aboriginal connection to place.

Fabricated by our Brisbane team, Wadhangarii stands at approximately 3.8 metres tall and is made from cast bronze, hand-formed aluminium, and hand-cut sandstone. The bronze banksia pod was digitally sculpted and 3D printed from the artist’s maquette, then finished with patina and pigment. The swamp banksia leaf and gadi grass were laser-cut, textured, and painted before being assembled. Due to the sculpture’s coastal location, steps were taken to isolate dissimilar metals and prevent corrosion. We finished the work using electrolyte gel, hidden fixings, and protective coatings. Set on a sandstone pillar engraved with “Wadhangarii”, the work connects language, place, and memory in a unified sculptural form.