Wave Made
Lasindu Gamage
Master of Architecture | Griffith University
“Shaped by the ocean’s constancy and carried to land, carrying the journey, bridging our origins and our evolving sense of belonging”
MATERIALS: Plaster + beeswax + tea (processed) + wax dye
Artist Statement
The seashell is a bridge between the ocean and the land, carrying the life it once protected and the story of what remains. It represents the connection between constancy and change, reflecting the ocean’s timeless rhythm and the transience of the land. From where I come from, and my childhood, the ocean is a symbol of my origin.
The Yugambeh Language - Kombumerri ‘Salt Water’ people country (Gold Coast) provides me with a similar sense of belonging, forming a universal connection. I see myself shaped by the ocean, and its rhythm, a seashell resting in a different land, carrying both my past and present. The seashell is my belonging, and in the Country's perspective, emphasizes remnants of life, it symbolizes change. My belonging explores how the seashell embodies personal and universal harmony, representing my evolving sense of home and belonging.
Synopsis
My Living Belonging is an exploration of materiality that recreates memory and continuous evolution. Formed through a crushed paper cast, it captures the essence of the land where a shell would rest, while the poured wax above represents the ocean always in motion, home to many worldwide.
This belonging draws from both personal and cultural references: the sandbanks of the Gold Coast, which evoke childhood memories of Sri Lanka’s shores, and the narratives of Kombumerri Country. The shell symbolizes continuity and migration, small relics carried by the sea, connecting different lands.
Through touch, this belonging invites engagement with texture and form, echoing the connection to land through one’s fingers, while above, the motion of the ocean symbolizes our universal connection. It is meant to be held, weathered, and experienced, reinforcing the idea that home is a feeling an ongoing relationship between self and sensory experience.
