Land and Sea by Claudio Kirac

Commissioned as part of Art At Large, a program bringing vibrant temporary public art to the Moreton Bay region, Land and Sea is a series of painted lighting plinths along Redcliffe Walk in the Gayundah Coastal Arboretum.

Community engagement was central to the process. Claudio led an on-site workshop where participants explored the site’s cultural and environmental heritage through experimental pattern-making activities, including stencil and foam block printing. This hands-on, inclusive approach encouraged personal reflection and storytelling, while creating space for all ages and abilities to contribute.

Drawings, prints, and written responses from the session were then distilled into painted motifs, ensuring the final artwork carried the community’s own voice and vision.

The work draws on the area’s natural beauty and layered histories, weaving together pattern-based motifs, community stories, and elements of the surrounding environment. Inspired by both the rugged Gayundah shipwreck and the protective waters of Moreton Bay, the design reflects the deep connections between land, sea and history. Motifs of Banksia, Norfolk Pines, Melaleuca, and the shifting light on the ocean’s surface anchor the design, celebrating the unique identity of the Arboretum and its coastal setting.

Land and Sea can be found midway along Redcliffe Walk, where it continues to connect locals and visitors to the Moreton Bay landscape and story.