Boorloo Kepa (Perth waters) reimagines the network of lakes that once dotted Boorloo, now beneath Perth’s urban development. The woven artwork evokes a constellation of memories and histories through a topographical representation crafted from sisal rope and waxed cotton cord. Boorloo Kepa serves as a reminder of the lost waterways and wetlands, and our shared responsibility to preserve our natural heritage, emphasising the critical role of water bodies in sustaining life and culture.

The Maap Wirn (body and spirit) triptych and lightbox artworks were created using balga resin, ochre and pigments. Balga (or xanthorrhoea) is the oldest living plant in the world, and a valuable resource to Nyoongar people who, for thousands of years, used the resin as medicine, food, shelter and fire-starting. Using the resin of the Balga, the artworks reflect the essence of all things living and spiritual.

Both artworks reclaim space within the urban landscape for cultural histories and contemporary narratives of the local Nyoongar Whadjuk people. The artworks transcend their physical forms to embody the essence of meeting places, connections, and the journeys that interlink us across time and space.

In considering different points of view of the earth, the cosmos and the oceans, we need to recognise our obligation to nurture an awareness of our impact on the earth. In Aboriginal culture, everything is connected and equal – all life comes from the same atoms. Humans are not above nature. We live alongside simultaneous beauty and devastation – Sharyn Egan.