OFF THE WALL

TELLING AN ANCIENT STORY

Lyndon puts the final touches on a large mural in Caloundra

RENOWNED ARTIST, PERFORMER, educator and Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) custodian Lyndon Davis’ deep connection to the Sunshine Coast began many generations before he was born here. He is part of an ancient story, bequeathed to him by his ancestors and told to him by his grandmother around the kitchen table as he grew up.

That story is now refl ected in Lyndon’s work, which honours and celebrates his spiritual and cultural connection to the land he lives and walks on.

One of his latest creations is Helimon, a three-metrehigh outdoor sculpture installation at Bli Bli of a First Nation’s warrior’s shield, in cast aluminium and automotive paint.

The stand-out attraction is part of a new series of eye-catching Kabi Kabi artworks being installed to pay homage to Bli Bli’s Indigenous roots in conjunction with a streetscape development in the area, and as part of an exhibition by Caloundra Regional Gallery.

The gallery has collaborated with Urban Art Projects (UAP) to create the exhibition, The Art of Making: art in public spaces, which showcases fi nished public artworks alongside conceptual processes. The exhibition features drawings, designs, maquettes and sculptures, as well as images of large-scale and site-specifi c installations.

The shield sculpture was designed and visioned by Lyndon in collaboration with fellow Kabi Kabi custodian Brent Miller, and was inspired by an original mangrove timber shield from Lyndon’s family. Another sculpture, Helimon II by Brent Miller, will also be installed as part of the exhibition.

“The shield itself is a symbol and everybody had their own with unique patterns and designs carved into the face of the shield,” Brent says.

“I’m sure our ancestors will be happy we’re getting the chance to throw down their patterns and designs up on the river for the first time. ”

“It’s a special moment for us to have the chance to create a legacy for our community to admire now and to continue on for generations to come.”

Division 9 Councillor Maria Suarez says she is proud to see art celebrating Kabi Kabi stories about Bli Bli and the surrounding landscape. “The shield is as magnifi cent from afar as it is up close. We are very fortunate to have talented artists like Lyndon and Brent who worked with Urban Art Projects to produce the region’s largest ever First Nations commissioned public art sculptures. “It’s quite clever how the sculpture was formed – they used 3D digital scanning technology to re-create the handmade shield, but on a much, much larger scale. The colours and patterns of the contemporary artwork also share and refl ect the Dreamtime legends of Maroochy, Coolum and Ninderry.”

Lyndon says it is an incredible honour to re-create the shields for the community and hopes those who visit will see the refl ection of Bli Bli’s heritage in the design.

“Our elders never really got a chance to do a large piece of public artwork in Bli Bli,” he says. “Many years later we come along and receive this incredible opportunity to do something for our community.

“I’m sure our ancestors will be happy we’re getting the chance to throw down their patterns and designs up on the river for the fi rst time.”