SALA 2023
This theme is inspired by the traditional four-year anniversary gift of flowers or fruits, combined with the recent Riverland experience of flooding.
THE INSPIRATION
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
READ ALYSHA’S NOVEL NOVEMBER ENTRIES HERE
Alysha’s writing process was the beginning of inspiration for my piece. During her fellowship to develop a fantasy world loosely inspired by the Riverland, Alysha spent the whole month of November discovering every nook and cranny of this world. Every day she changed characters, worlds, and writing form and genre.
I was part of the worldbuilding workshops in 2021. Over a weekend, we started painting the broad strokes of the world, including world logic, magic systems, humanoid species, and other creatures.
Magic, as per my personal brand, was the highlight of this process. I adored thinking of small ways to inject magic into this world. These were some of the descriptions I kept from the workshops.
- Plant pets – pets that you grow in a pot until they’re fully grown and ready to walk by your side.
- Light fairies – instead of using electricity and fire, little light-emitting creatures float around towns.
- Flower fairies – pretty creatures that are usually masters of chaos.
Alysha’s artist-brain works in such a cool way and she loves to tackle different forms of storytelling. I read her Recipe for rose-fairy food and it truly opened my eyes to what storytelling could look like. So while I loved so many of her pieces this month, this one stuck with me long after the fellowship ended.
And what a perfect source of inspiration for this SALA exhibition theme.
(You are Loved – Wednesday, November 24 and Recipe for rose-fairy food (fertiliser) -Friday, November 5th are the titles of the pieces that inspired this artwork)
THE PIECES SAM CREATED THAT DIRECTLY INSPIRED MY PIECE: ONE AND TWO
Through November, Alysha commissioned illustrator, Sam Wannan, who captured this world in the most stunning series of illustrations. Including, but not limited to landscapes, characters, and creature design. Sam has such an incredible skill of capturing details. I was so drawn to his collection of fairies. Specifically one of a tiny fox-like creature with wings and a wattle for a tail.
I thought about what other species we could be introduced to and with Alysha’s Rose-Fairy fertiliser recipe in mind, a rose-version of this little fox-fairy seemed like the most obvious choice.
LANDS OF THE RIVER
READ MORE ABOUT THE WORLD CREATED DURING ALYSHA’S FELLOWSHIP
OTHER ARTISTS
THE PROCESS
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
The rose-fairy blooms from the glowing center of a rose, the petals stay formed around the fairy’s neck. Petals unfurl from its back to show us beautiful, translucent wings. It takes flight soon after bloom and returns back to its rose every night to rest. Rose-fairies and flower-fairies alike do not have long lifespans.
THE PIECE
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
kirste jade 
