Rise interrogates the threat of rising sea levels in the global South. Tides are depicted gradually climbing the Judith Wright Centre façade, the ocean waves submerging a fictional clay map indicating islands within this region. Clay masses are displaced and removed by the effects of the water with the exception of the topmost formation, its shape suggestive of the Southern coastline of Australia. The work aims to call Australian Government leaders to action, advocating for the implementation of climate policies that will protect the futures of global communities.
Bella Deary is a Meanjin, Brisbane-based visual artist whose practice gathers influence from environmental science and climate activism to promote the equality of all living forms. Bella uses latex sculptures and video projection to create immersive and interactive installations. Central to Bella’s practice are notions that conjure up relationships between human bodies and other natural life, alongside the poetic communication of scientific content. Her work expresses important ecocentric concepts and aims to dismantle the hierarchy between humans and the natural environment.
