Terry Tonga Choi-Lundberg
Pressed

In every culture and generation since the beginning of human time, women have faced challenges from societal, familial, and personal pressures. Today's woman is pressed in many ways--choosing and pursuing a fulfilling career; finding, nurturing, and growing with partners; adapting to changing family structures; discovering opportunities for personal growth, but the challenge of finding the balance remains. Finding this balance gives meaning to our experiences and allows us to enjoy the process at the same time. As an artist and woman, I have found my own equilibrium through the creative process which has been sparked by living in and communing with this magical isle of Tasmania. The inspiration for “ Pressed ” came from a bushwalk excursion to the Painted Cliffs of Maria Island. The patterns in the sandstone, fashioned from ages of geological pressures and changes, suggests the female form. It reminds us that the true beauty and strength of women are collectively carved over time, under a certain pressure in response to their environments, thereby revealing their uniqueness and layers of being.