Artist: Maureen Faye-Chauhan Year: 2023 Location: Barak Bushlands Reserve Main Road, Eltham
This artwork is inspired by three native Manna Gum trees surrounding the sculpture, and is strongly influenced by the sustainable practice of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People who removed segments of the bark form the Manna Gum trees to create vessels and shields. Woody burls were also processed to create sustainable bowls to carry water. These practices did not harm the trees nor the surrounding environment.
The artwork was named by the Elders of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, and translates to “Take what you need and not what you greed”
Maureen Faye-Chauhan is a local artist from Nillumbik. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Monash University and her works are held at various National and International Art Institutions. The Artist’s iconic style strikes a delicate balance between organic and architectural forms, inspired by the idea of ‘concurrence’; the repetitive pattern and behaviours found in nature. Elements of translucency, light, and shadow are pivotal to Maureen’s work, and her works adapt and evolve with natural light and the surroundings.