Level Crossings, Removal Project Public Art Sculpture
Location: Preston, Melbourne / Naarm
Artwork: ‘embedded memory’
Client: Level Crossings Removal
Artist: Lisa Waup
Art Consultancy: MARS Gallery
Artist Services: SW Art Consulting
Cultural Consultation: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
Fabrication: Sculpture Co
Public Artwork
"Walking through the landscape during my first visit to this place, I felt the movement of the wind through the grass and the Eucalyptus trees.
This work begins with and acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People, the traditional custodians of this land, and their unwavering ties to Country, waterways, community, and culture.
The line work, reminiscent of handprints, represents the lines etched into our palms – testament to our identity.
I was born in Preston - this adopted Country of mine holds numerous precious memories and opportunities. Through, this piece, I want to boldly underscore the significance of Wurundjeri, of ancestors, the past, present and future. There have been times where identity has not always been acknowledged or exposed and so this piece, boldly and proudly fills that space.
'Within these lines, the memory of the landscape resides – the rivers that have shaped this place. These rivers, like threads, have woven the fabric of community, connecting paths and generations."
About the Artist
Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator, born in Narrm (Melbourne), whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses a diverse range of media, including weaving, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, her work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives.
Through her practice, Waup weaves together threads of lost history, ancestral relationships, motherhood, and the passage of time, culminating in contemporary expressions that speak to her past, present, and future. In her words, "As a multidisciplinary artist, I'm guided to utilise so many different mediums—they really talk to me—and in turn they're able to explain my story in different ways, they all connect with each other. Material diversity is a big part of what I do in my practice—I'm happy to move across various media and am always open to exploring new materials and approaches that connect to the work I am making at the time."
