Goddess of Independence

Goddess of Independence inspired by Sultana's story, 2024
Ceramic and mixed media
$22,000

To honour this object, Vipoo Srivilasa decided to work with terracotta for the first time, departing from his usual white porcelain. He created a temple-like space inside the sculpture to place the tile as a goddess, honouring her resilience, independence and the significant milestones in her life, thus encapsulating her story within its form

Sultana's Story

We migrated to Perth in 1982 for a better life. We could have lived anywhere, but Australia opened an opportunity and we took it. We married very young, and I used to sail on cargo ships with my husband, a marine engineer. He got a job immediately, so we didn't have the usual refugee or migrant experience with the trauma of waiting to see if we were accepted.

We had been to South Africa and experienced apartheid, so we were a bit apprehensive coming to Australia as we had heard that Australia had the White Australia policy in the past. Instead, we found people very friendly. Since that time, we travelled and lived in many other countries as well – UK, Thailand, Cyprus, Singapore. I bring all these cultural influences into my life in Perth.

Contemporary jewellery allows me to express myself as an artist and craftsman and experiment with non-traditional techniques and tropes.

Language wasn't a problem because we spoke English, but the understanding and the use of the language was an issue. In India, family, community and hospitality is part and parcel of daily life. One was always going to other people's homes to eat; people are coming over to eat. It was different here, more formal. You had to tell them you were coming in advance and go at the exact time. Just dropping in, without making an appointment, wasn’t on.

If you're going to leave your country, develop an extra layer of skin. I didn’t like the way I was patronised when I came. As a small brown woman who speaks with an accent, people were always nice, but patronising, thinking I needed to be educated about life in Australia.

I'd also say to someone moving to Australia, “come, the world needs to be mixed up” … the eggs are already broken, and this is the omelette that we're in, all mixed up and creating a new reality. I think the future should look like the world is one country and we are all citizens.

OBJECT

My object is a terracotta tile made in Gujarat, the Indian state where my family originated. This tile was part of a set of three depicting a farming couple going forth, the man leading the woman, very much like how I followed my husband to settle in a new and unknown land with our children.

Although I carefully packed it, when I opened the box, it had split into two, separating the man and the woman. Years later my husband and I separated, a casualty of cultural differences.

I also feel there is a strong Thai connection in my chosen piece. When I was in college studying ceramics, there was a Thai student in my class called Piansuk who read my tarot cards. She said, “Hey, do you know in the next week someone's going to ask you to marry him?”. I dismissed it because I didn't have a boyfriend, but then my husband, who I had met 5 years before, suddenly came back into my life the following week saying he wanted me to marry him. We later divorced in Bangkok, Thailand, so the Thai connection showed itself again, at the beginning and at the end. And now I send you, [Vipoo] a Thai ceramicist, a piece that connects me again.

Image top: Vipoo Srivilasa, Goddess of Independence, 2024 Photo: Simon Strong