Freo artist carves stones into the spotlight with rocking Melville event

Jina specialises in stone sculptures inspired by organic forms. She is hands-on from the very first steps of designing the concept, sourcing materials for sculptures and physically creating the artwork herself at her studio at J Shed in Fremantle. Her work has been shown at Sculptures by the Sea for multiple years, as well as interstate and internationally.

“As a sculptor, one of the most common questions I am asked is, ‘how did you make this?’. This is a question that is difficult to answer with words, and something that can only truly be understood by seeing,” said Jina.

Now working to spread the word, Jina is one of the organisers of Stone to Art 2022, an event hosted by The Western Australia International Sculpture Symposium and supported by City of Melville that is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of natural stone sculptures, the talent of the artists, and the superior quality of locally sourced stones found right here in WA.

Held over 16 days starting from 11th of November, highly skilled artists will work in open air on location at Attadale Reserve to create sculptures from Western Australian sandstone and granite.

“What makes Stone To Art unique and contributes to Western Australian arts is that the public have a rare opportunity to see behind the curtain of sculpture creation. There are a few other sculpture events in Perth, however the point of difference, and what is truly unique to our event is that the public can see the making of the sculpture and final piece from concept to creation,” she said.

“We are planning this event annually across different cities in WA to create a sculpture trail between the contributing cities for the public to enjoy. We believe that this unique international stone carving project will not only bring artistic merit but also educational and cultural benefits to WA,” said Jina.

The community will have full access to ‘behind the scenes’ of what goes into creating a stone sculpture, from choosing the raw block of stone, time management, carving skills, craftsmanship and installation of the finished sculpture. There will also be a series of artist talks and workshops where participants can try their hand at stone carving.

“We invite the community to see the artworks evolve and develop an appreciation for not only the artwork but also what our beautiful WA natural resources can offer with the artists who will only be using Western Australian stone to create their artwork,” said Jina.

Five national stone artists will work in open air on location at Attadale Reserve to create sculptures from Western Australian sandstone and granite. Three of the artworks created during this time will be installed on site as part of the City of Melville Public Art Collection.