The 26th Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi has officially opened with the world’s largest free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring 100 sculptures by artists from 16 countries, transforming the spectacular 2km coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama over the next 18 days.
Acclaimed Chinese artist Professor Shen Lieyi was announced as the recipient of the $100,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award for his arborescent work titled Tracing. Recognised as one of the most sought-after art awards in the world, the Aqualand Sculpture Award is an acquisitive award that will see Tracing gifted by long-standing Principal Sponsor Aqualand for permanent public placement. Shen Lieyi is the seventh international artist to receive the major award at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi.
Aqualand increased the value of the Aqualand Sculpture Award from $70,000 to $100,000 again this year, in celebration of its 10th anniversary as a company and the recent completion of its latest landmark residential precinct, AURA by Aqualand in North Sydney.
Born in Hangzhou, China, Shen Lieyi is a highly acclaimed artist with a love of the natural world whose work focuses on the integration of personal experience and natural elements into insightful, conceptual sculptures. His work is represented in public collections including the National Museum of China, Nanjing Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, and Basel in Switzerland.
He has a major work in the permanent outdoor collection, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail in southern NSW, and 2024 marks the third time he is exhibiting at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. Shen Lieyi is a Professor at the College of Sculpture and Public Art at the China Academy of Art, Executive Director of the China Sculpture Institute, and Vice President of the Zhejiang Sculpture Research Association.
Tracing is a 3m-high work made from bronze and granite, inspired by the source of flowing water and the challenges of life. The idea of walking upstream is a metaphor for going against the flow; in this sculpture it symbolises reflecting on the past, seeking origins and exploring the essence of things.
“I would like to express my joy at receiving this award. I have participated in three Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi exhibitions which has been a valuable experience for me. With this opportunity, my works can have direct contact and dialogue with local audiences,” said Shen Lieyi.
“I have always tried to integrate Eastern wisdom and thinking into my creations, and the acceptance of my works by Australians and tourists has inspired me. With the help of art, we can share different ideas and thoughts in public spaces, which I believe is the most fascinating aspect of art.”
“I would like to express my gratitude to the staff behind this project. A sculpture is not complete until it is seen by the public,” said Shen Lieyi.
The 26th exhibition features 12 artworks in a unique Indian Showcase: 10 artworks by eight artists from India, including Professor Avantika Bawa, Shovin Bhattacharjee, Harsha Durugadda, Teja Gavankar, Professor Latika Katt, Dr. Subodh Kerkar. S.D. Hari Prasad Achari and Ayesha Singh, as well as two artworks by artists from the Indian diaspora in Australia, Niharika Hukku and Shaumyika Sharma.
Created through strong Indian and Australian diplomatic relations, the Indian Showcase has been made possible through the support of the Centre for Australia-India Relations, the Howarth Foundation, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre and the Consulate General of India.
Highlights of the 2024 exhibition include this year’s three Helen Lempriere Scholarship recipients, Justene Williams ($35,000; QLD), Jennifer Cochrane ($30,000; WA) and Joel Adler ($25,000; VIC); the two Transfield Australian Invited Artists, Patricia McTaggart Marrfurra OAM (NT) and Mark Stoner (VIC), who each receive $15,000.
The recipient of the DEEPAL Australia Artist Award of $15,000, Alejandro Propato (Argentina); and the two artists selected for the Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Sculptor Mentor Program, Anna May Kirk (NSW) and Morgan Hogg (NSW), who each receive $15,000.
Joining renowned Australian sculptors James Rogers (NSW), John Petrie (NSW), Stephen King (NSW) and Paul Bacon (NSW) who exhibited in the first Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 1997, thirty-five artists are exhibiting for the first time, including artists from Switzerland, Denmark, South Korea and France.
Eleven leading artists from Japan are exhibiting, including Haruyuki Uchida, Keizo Ushio and Toshio Iezumi, and in continuing support for Ukrainian artists, Yevgen Prymachenko features this year.
James Rogers joins the Double Decade Club as he celebrates his 20th time in the exhibition, and Paul Bacon and Takeshi Tanabe (Japan) join the Decade Club.
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi continues to until Monday 4 November 2024. For more information and full program, visit: www.sculpturebythesea.com for details.
Images: Professor Shen Lieyi, Tracing – photo by Charlotte Curd | Dr Subodh Kerkar, The Chilly, 2012 – photo by Daniel Varrica