Works featured in Solastalgia: an antidote at Fabrik Arts and Heritage, Lobethal 2020

Chlorophyll Spirits

River red gum & Grey box gum caps - endemic (Adelaide Plains), Acacia pods - introduced (Mount Osmond), Blue quondong seeds - Qld (Adelaide Botanic Gardens), Bauhinia seeds - introduced (Pioneer Womens Trail) 2020

“My mandala installation-making has been a personal practice for about a decade. This installation uses a blend of plant material (endemic/local and imported/weeds) from my parched surroundings near the hiking trails of Mt Osmond. Usually my finds are a delight, a spontaneous surprise – seeds, feathers, bones, nests or seaweed. In this case, I intentionally collected and sifted dusty materials from nearby gutters. It was a kind of hazard reduction effort during those frantic January days. In working with the materials, the idea of creating a chlorophyll molecule presented itself. Chlorophyll is the chemical structure that makes green pigment & nutrients for plants from the sun’s rays. It also has a similar molecular structure to haemoglobin in the blood.

I share this chlorophyll magic mandala for the benefit of our bruised and grieving hearts.”

Melissa Hellwig