Castaways Sculpture Awards Winners

Sensitively shaped from aluminium, with additional forms created from salvaged scrap metal, the work is located under the Lookout at Rockingham Foreshore during Castaways so visitors can appreciate the work both from the beach and above. 

The Roleystone-based artist said he was “simply overcome with joy” at the announcement, which represented recognition of his creative vision, craftsmanship and the tenacity required to create work of a high standard.

“It takes time, patience and hard work to master a craft, and to earn the respect of judges. To win above so many other fantastic works of art makes me proud, and gives me encouragement to continue to strive for excellence on my artistic journey,” Fry said. 

Judges, Dr Kit Messham-Muir from Curtin University and artist Simon Gilby said the work “skilfully manipulates industrial materials for a preposterous upscaling of the tiny, delicate and organic nature of a buttonhole posey. As such, it makes an unavoidable, verging on grotesque, reminder of the consequences of living without thought for tomorrow.”

Other winners at Castaways included Bibra Lake artist Shaun Sawbridge, who won the $5,000 Innovation Award with Aqua Racer - a refurbished and reimagined Rolls Royce Avon jet engine used in aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s for flights from the UK to Australia. 

Golden Bay duo Sharon Baxter and Rachael Lemon won the $5,000 Water Corporation Sustainability Award with Fanciful Floral Flurry, a grouping of botanic-like flowers created from unlikely materials such as square plastic bread ties.

Dr Piers Yates, an orthopaedic surgeon and artist, won the $2,500 Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition with Orthopus, an octopus-like creature created from old orthopaedic instruments and equipment. 

Ruth Acton won the $2,000 City of Rockingham Local Resident Award with Mech, a group of nine fantastical totems created with PVC reticulation pipes and aluminium.

In the Castaways Schools Competition, Atwell Primary won the Primary Schools section with Ocean Cabinet, and Alta-1 College from Port Kennedy won the Secondary Schools section with The Lost World.  

City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin congratulated the winning artists on their outstanding efforts. 

“The quality of work submitted for Castaways in 2022 was of a very high standard and the City congratulates the successful artists for the outstanding level of creativity they have shown,” Mayor Hamblin said. 

Castaways Curator Lyn DiCiero said there had been a steady stream of visitors to Castaways across the Foreshore and Rockingham Arts Centre. 

“It’s amazing to see the locations filled with visitors admiring the inventive and stunning sculptural works made by artists and schools who have all risen to the challenge of transforming recycled materials into objects of beauty,” DiCiero said.

Main image: Castaways Sculpture Awards winners with Mayor Hamblin, City of Rockingham Councillors and Castaways sponsors. 

Image two: Alcoa Major Award winner Aaron Fry with his sculpture Giant Boutonniere. 

Image three: Artist Shaun Sawbridge, who won the Innovation Award with Aqua Racer. 

Image four: Golden Bay duo Sharon Baxter and Rachael Lemon with their sculpture Fanciful Floral Flurry. 

Image five: Dr Piers Yates' Orthopus won the Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition category. 

Image six: Ruth Acton won the City of Rockingham Local Resident Award with Mech. 

Image seven: Atwell Primary won the Primary Schools section with Ocean Cabinet. 

Image eight: Alta-1 College from Port Kennedy won the Secondary Schools section with The Lost World. Pictures: City of Rockingham.