The free, outdoor annual exhibition, from October 21 to November 19, will showcase works from three categories this year – sculpture entries from artists (30), schools (five) and stonemasons (nine), spanning a diverse range of ages, experiences and backgrounds.
Hidden Curator, Dr Kath Fries, said the exhibition’s panel received 124 entries.
“I was delighted to receive a wide range of submissions this year, although this made selection challenging for the judging panel,” Dr Fries said.
A first time Rookwood finalist, Leyla teaches architecture and is calling her sculpture ‘Nothing But A Few Pieces Of Cloth – Kafan’.
She explained that ‘Kafan’ is the Islamic name for the cloth or shroud a person is buried in.
“I wanted to express the trappings of life don’t mean anything,” she said.
“Whether you are a billionaire or not, you still go back to God the same way you arrived.”
Leyla said she was incredibly excited to win selection this year.
“I think Hidden is a great opportunity to showcase local art and culture, including modern Islamic art,” she said. “I can’t wait to get people thinking.”
Rookwood curator selects 44 finalists in Hidden showcase
ONE of Sydney’s most unique and culturally diverse sculpture exhibitions in the most unlikely of exhibition spaces, Hidden Rookwood Sculptures 2023 will soon see 44 finalists, including Berala’s Leyla Oz, exhibit their work