Bunya Requiem

Bunya Requiem is a work formed from special, unique and significant substance. Each of the 12 major panels consists of layers of sculpted papers made from fibre of the Bunya tree (Araucaria bidwillii). The panels are stitched to a hessian backing and trimmed with slices of bunya branch gifted from Wakka Wakka country, whose custodians were the hosts of the great Bunya gatherings of yesteryear. The substance from which an artwork such as Bunya Requiem is made has power and potency and a great deal of research has preceded this project. Over successive years experiments were carried out to find out how it could be processed to make usable paper. Each panel consists of multiple layers of Bunya paper sometimes combined with galangal, ginger and banana. This work commemorates the lost Bunya forests of southeast Queensland and celebrates the resilience and resurgence of bunya lore.