Ouroboros
(2023)
Medium
wood, paper, binder, marble dust, stain wax
Measurements
319.4 × 296.0 × (53.5) cm (installed) Weight: approx. 80kgs
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Susan Jones and James McGrath, 2024
© Heather B Swann
Gallery location
Gallery 9
Level 2, NGV Australia
About this work
Heather B. Swann’s Ouroboros is a three-metre-wide sculpture, which has been meticulously carved and moulded by the artist in her Tasmanian studio. The coiled black figure, depicted consuming its own tail, embodies the arcane symbol of the ouroboros, prevalent in various ancient cultures including Celtic, Egyptian and Greek, often representing the cyclical nature of existence, self-reflexivity and the eternal cycle of life and death. Swann’s rendition captures not only the mysticism and eternal continuity inherent to this ancient emblem, but also the darker undertones of self-destruction and regeneration.