Christianne Goss
Shifting the sands of time

My sculpture depicts a woman and her grandchild building a sandcastle on a beach. They have collected some shells, seaweed and a feather and are decorating the sandcastle. Each piece is made from terracotta clay, has been painted with underglaze colours and glazed before firing. They are placed on a board shaped to represent the island of Tasmania and around the edge is a shell necklace, also made from clay, acknowledging the presence of the first island women who lived here.

I have lived on this island for over 30 years now and have raised all of my six children here. I have spent many days, in all seasons, walking the beaches and making sandcastles with my children. Now as a grandmother the whole cycle is beginning again… walking the beautiful beaches, collecting shells and building sandcastles.

With every visit to the beach there comes a new discovery and a renewed appreciation of the beauty of this island. As I dig in the sand I ponder on our existence and how life evolves, and of those first women… they too must have walked the beaches collecting shells.