Mudtha maza (Home reef)
2017
Medium
shells, silver, steel, nylon, plastic
Measurements
38.0 × 39.8 × 5.2 cm (variable)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2018
© Isobel Stephen
Gallery location
Intrafilament 10 - between G18 and G19
Level 3, NGV Australia
About this work
This work by shell artist Isobel Stephen is made from hundreds of precious moon and cowry shells that she has collected from the beaches and reefs of Mua (Moa Island) since she was a child. Threaded on a continuous length of wire and artfully wound around a steel ring, the encrusted shell halo is the artist’s most ambitious work to date. Stephens draws inspiration from the natural resources and organic materials found on her island home. Carrying on the customary practice of shell necklace–making, Stephen’s Mudtha maza signals the constant evolution of design and making in Torres Strait Island communities.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Mua, Torres Strait Islands
Accession Number
2018.20
Department
Contemporary Design and Architecture