Shaping Block
Luke Hamilton
Master of Architecture | University of Newcastle
“Country is everything, it is knowledge, connection, and learning. It is an ongoing relationship where we live, grow, and coexist with it’s being.”
MATERIALS: timber
Artist Statement
My understanding of home, belonging, and Country has grown through a connection with the land, its stories, and the intricate relationships that unify it. Home has become more than a physical location it’s a sense of connection and relationship with the environment and the community. Belonging arises from this bond a mutual exchange where caring for the land nurtures a profound sense of place and identity.
For me, Country is far more than a physical landscape, it holds memory, knowledge, and stories. By listening to Country, attuning to its rhythms, and recognising its interconnected systems, I’ve come to understand it as a living, breathing presence. This perspective has shown me that belonging is both deeply personal and inherently collective, rooted in respect, care, and responsibility. These insights have deepened my appreciation for how home and Country shape us.
Synopsis
The living belonging “Shaping Block” is carved from the Eucalypt tree that stood in my garden as a child. After the tree fell, we preserved a cross-section of it, giving it a second life as a cutting and cooling board in my family home. This connection to the tree embodies the relationship between nature, memory, and identity.
The piece is a tactile experience for the audience, it is meant to be held and passed around. The smooth carving on the bottom is influenced from South swell lines hitting my local coastline of Muloobinba (Newcastle), as well as the rippling patterns formed on the sand dunes by the southerly wind.
The organic bowl shaped cut out on the face of the sculpture is influenced by the shape of the tree section. Its reflective of the shape around it, it’s a link to the notion of HOMES ability to influence and shape an individual.
When placed in a bed of sand, the carved underside creates an imprint - a negative of the swell lines - when removed from its HOME. This interaction encourages the audience to engage with the piece creatively. They can curate a series of prints in the sand, experimenting with repetition and orientation, or they can choose to erase the imprints entirely, leaving the sand empty. This act reflects the dynamic relationship between individuals and their environment, underscoring the idea that HOME is both physical and spiritual, constantly being re-shaped.
