Riverscope

The meandering waters of Dugulumba (Logan River) became both method and metaphor for this project and this artwork. Like the river, the process resists rigid structure. Meandering embraces ambiguity, hybridity, and indeterminacy; it forgives mistakes, welcomes the contingent, and holds multiplicity with generosity. This approach reveals more than what can be scheduled or measured, opening space for deeper listening, curiosity, and layered truths.

In Logan, Dias Mendis encountered a quiet sovereignty not rooted in wealth or external power, but in acceptance. Here, people are unthreatened by difference. There is no pressure to perform or conform; individuality is expected and rawness embraced.

The eels of Dugulumba embody this spirit. Born in the sea, they journey upstream, live in fresh waters, and return to the sea to die. Painted with riverbed pigments and natural indigo, they quietly claim sovereignty.