Sarah Elson
Resilient Resistance

Resilient Resistance honours the potential pain and bondage felt through the journey of everyone who is forced to seek refuge. The work is made from casts of the hollowed-out spike of the spider gum nut - Eucalyptus lehmannii, commonly known as bushy yate, a eucalypt in the myrtle family Myrtaceae endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. 

The metal is sourced from unwanted pieces of jewellery and is cast unrefined to create a palate of earthly colours. The material holds onto the memory of failed relationships and unwanted gifts. The defensive look of the seed casing is a testament to the resilient and fast growing, adaptable nature of this species of eucalypt. 

These are traits that I wish upon anyone seeking asylum. The work speaks to the ongoing contentious relationship Australia has to borders and asylum seekers and an awareness of the history of bondage that has shaped Australia today through our colonising, invasive and destructive past.