This artwork reflects the shape of a face mask, using pieces of fabric from masks I sewed in 2020. In 2020 masks symbolised loss – loss of freedoms and the ban on creative practice for 111 days in the Stage 4 lockdown. Masks also symbolised triumph – reducing our case numbers to zero, and caring for our community by giving up some of our freedoms. The mask has been embroidered with fronds and leaves, signalling the new life now emerging in my creative mindscape.

Simone Alesich is a mixed media artist and jeweller. She works in a range of textiles, wood and botanic sculpture, photography and collage, using various natural and found materials. Simone is passionate about sustainability, and inspired by natural forms as well as Japanese aesthetics. With a background in anthropology, her artworks are informed by the diverse art and cultural practices of the places where she has lived and travelled. Her artworks often explore the theme of imagined worlds, as well as reflecting on the natural environment.