Shaun Hayes has been selected as a finalist in the notable Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize (2020) for his work Remember to Breathe (2019-2020). 

“The work Remember to Breathe was first sculpted and conceived in October of 2019, weeks after the passing of my Grandmother and during my first major interstate solo exhibition, at Stanley Street Gallery, Darlinghurst. It sat in my studio unfinished for months, becoming covered with a fine layer of soot during the bushfires of late 2019 and early 2020, avoided hail damage in late January 2020, and acted as an ironically humorous piece during the months of February through to May when it was finally fired and completed, capturing these ephemeral moments in time.

Whilst the piece is humorous in nature it is a very personal work to me, representational of my headspace in the last few months and acts as a capsule of time and place. The work contemplates the nature of today’s throwaway society and through the use of seemingly unimportant, everyday objects, humorously highlights the importance of being more conscious of the enduring impact waste has on the environment.” 

- Shaun Hayes 

To view available work by Shaun Hayes in our Stockroom, click here.