A larger-than-life, five-tonne, goddess-like bronze sculpture is the latest artwork to be unveiled as part of the multi-million-dollar public art pipeline for the iconic $3.6b Queen’s Wharf Brisbane.
Known for her focus on the body as an art form, Brisbane-based creative Justene Williams, said her five-year-old daughter Honore’s fascination with tiny toy figurines, combined with ancient carvings of women called Sheela na gigs, found in Ireland and throughout Europe, inspired the almost five metre upscaled version of a superwoman, titled Sheila.
“My daughter is interested in superheroes and loves her plastic figurines, so I took that and gave the sculpture gravitas,” Ms Williams said.
“I love to go big so this will be a giant monument to the female form,” she said.
“The name Sheila riffs on the term used for an Aussie woman but it is also the female character carved in stone mainly in Europe from the 11th century, which has interpretations of protector, fertility and empathy and I wanted to immortalise those qualities.
“She will also feature a stainless-steel halo that is open to interpretation and self-reflection.
“The average person will see a big woman in a horse-stance with one arm open and the other closed fisted; some people may giggle at the busty representation but I’m hoping everyone will stop and look.”
A former dancer and cabaret performer, Justene Williams is an established artist over 25 years and is well known for her large-scale immersive live works, multi-channel video installations and photography.
“My work is often ephemeral, but this is permanent and I’m so excited for Sheila to be so prominent in such an important development for Brisbane,” Ms Williams said.
Sheila stands at the Queen’s Wharf Plaza on the riverside of the Commissariat Store convict museum and is one of four artworks now announced for the 7.5 hectares of public space within the entertainment and tourism precinct.
Art curator and Director of the Institute of Modern Art Liz Nowell, part of the Specialist Arts Advisory Council panel, led by highly regarded art figure Philip Bacon alongside leading Indigenous curator and arts administrator Avril Quaill, likened Sheila to a “towering goddess-like figure”.
“I like to think of her being the guardian of the Plaza, who will watch over the millions of visitors to Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, including for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Ms Nowell said.
“The Arts panel felt she was a figure that everyone could relate to, from children to adults, as there is something playful about her, but her stance is empowered and impactful,” she said.
“A lot of the works are installation or site specific, but Sheila offers a contemporary twist on figurative sculpture and I think people will respond really positively to her.
“I hope she becomes a familiar and much-loved icon – perhaps a meeting place, where visitors can congregate under her larger-than-life physique.”
The Star Brisbane as part of the $3.6+ billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct welcomed its first visitors in August, heralding a history-making, new era of tourism and entertainment in Queensland. Brisbane’s new multi-million-dollar public art gallery spread across the entire 12-hectare Queen’s Wharf precinct will elevate the city’s cultural reputation, showcasing stunning works from local, First Nations and international artists and complement the South Bank cultural hot spot across the river.
For more information, go to queenswharfbrisbane.com.au.
Main and cover picture: Sheila at Queen’s Wharf Brisbane. Credit: Anglo&Celtic
Anglo&Celtic 
