Somerset artist Cynthia Hawkins has unveiled a striking 9ft sculpture titled Set me Free. The piece has been commissioned by Burnie Works, a program facilitated by the Burnie City Council which aims to bring the community together with a service sectors and local government to build a positive future for our municipality.
Cynthia’s brief for Set me Free was to create a sculpture which reflected the experience of lockdown in Burnie. It took four months to complete, with most of the work being completed late at night once Cynthia’s four young children were in bed.
It will be toured around local public venues in the coming months, commencing with the Burnie Regional Art Gallery, where it will be on display from February 2nd.
The sculpture is designed to prompt discussion, and viewers will be invited to provide feedback on their interpretation of the work. It is a complex piece, filled with stories, symbols and identifiable local features. Cynthia says that although everyone will see the work differently, it is the importance of community which shines through.
A short video clip of Cynthia talking about the piece and her artistic practice has been created by three young film-makers from Project O, who were present for the unveiling. The filming and editing process forms part of the mentoring component of the Arts and Screen Digital Production fund which Burnie Arts Council received to produce Design Eye Creative paper on skin 2020 - The Film. The film project was assisted by Arts Tasmania and Screen Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts.
‘Set me Free’ by Cynthia Hawkins - the unveiling event. Photo: Lyndal Thorne