260 Rocks
This exhibition presented the works of Richard Tabaka, Suvira McDonald and Stefan Mager
260 Rocks
by Richard Tabaka
Presented in Mullumbimby Memorial Hall, this installation is inspired by abstract aerial photographs of Lake Eyre’s shores captured in 2015. The natural patterns found there are recreated on ceramic rocks using the Obvara Method. One evening, while looking at a three-meter-long photograph hanging in my bedroom, I realised how closely the Obvara patterns on ceramics resembled the views I had seen while flying 3,000 feet over Lake Eyre’s shores. This sparked my imagination and led to the creation of the installation. It features 260 ceramic rocks hanging from the suspended ceiling representing the visual elements of the aerial view, arranged over patterns that reflect the colours of sand samples collected in central Australia.
Revistation Sentinels
by Suvira McDonald
This installation comprising Suvira’s works draws on materials from a bygone era, revisiting the times of early settlers and their complex relationship with land, materials, and purpose. It has, through the introduction of the Cauldron series, a pertinent reference to the caldera surrounding Wollumbin. So it speaks of geology, history and abstractions of the intrusions of humankind into an ancient landscape. These sculptures invite reflection not on what they represent, but on the resonances they create — physically, spatially, and within the shared imagination of place.
Mandala of Curious Spirits
by Stefan Mager
The Mandala of Curious Spirits comprises 33 individual ceramic sculptures arranged within a square mandala. Each piece is unique, ranging from fantastic animals and chimeras to figures with human features and entirely imagined creatures. At its centre sits a human-like figure in a contemplative pose. The sculptures rest within a black tray, set on a black square table pedestal. Created by Stefan Mager in July–August 2025, the work is a mysterious puzzle crafted to amuse and spark the onlooker’s imagination.