L-R: Professor Ted Snell, Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP Member for Hasluck, Celia Hammond, MP Member for Curtin, Sam Hopkins, David Handley AM, Nathan Harding, Town of Cottesloe Mayor Phil Angers. Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2020. Photo Clyde Yee.
Announced at the Media Launch, Sam Hopkins (WA) is the recipient of the prestigious Western Australian Sculptor Scholarship of $10,000 thanks to Gavin Bunning AM and Julienne Penny.
Presented by Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, Member for Hasluck, Western Australia and Minister for Indigenous Australians, the scholarship, donated by Gavin Bunning & Julienne Penny since 2013, provides important support for the advancement of the artist’s career, including the opportunity to travel and study their craft.
Hopkins’ work is a 6 metre tall aluminium tree, titled ‘2030’, which explores the concept of the ‘tree of life,’ a symbol of wisdom, strength and forgiveness, now reshaped by climate change. ‘2030’ represents a looming skeleton of this once great life giver, now destroyed by the lives it had supported.
Hopkins said, “Words can’t express how thrilled I am to be awarded this year’s WA Sculptor Scholarship. As an emerging artist, Sculpture by the Sea has been an amazing opportunity to share my work with the world. Many thanks to scholarship sponsors Gavin Bunning AM and Julienne Penny, to Capral, whose material sponsorship made this work possible, and to my mentor Johannes Pannekoek for his wisdom and guidance.”
Sam’s sculpture ‘2030’ highlights the threat of climate change to ecosystems and the bioclimatic limit of trees, that will be irreversible by the year 2030.
Congratulations Sam!
(Pictured here holding the coveted Dinosaur Designs blue wave trophy- with thanks to Dinosaur Designs)