Ability Arts enters environmentally friendly work for Wearable Art Mandurah

ABILITY Arts has entered six works in five years in Wearable Art Mandurah and last year was a finalist.

This year, with some funding from Country Arts and sponsors Powertex, clients have created a work that speaks for the environment.

Entries in the category Oceania in which Ability Arts is competing, must be of 80 per cent recyclable material and their design involved wrapping fabric around solid material resulting in a material similar to Plaster of Paris.

The work, titled Enda Semangko – Goddess of War and Fertility, represents exposed coral bleaching and protection of the Great Barrier Reef.

Semi-retired artist Lyn Kennedy, who previously worked at Ability Arts, held six workshops for clients.

Enda Semangko is one of 39 works chosen from 51 to be modelled at the Wearable Arts Showcase at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, June 11.

Ability Arts is an innovative and individualised service for people with disabilities and has presented a collaborative garment for each of the past five years.

This year, they worked about 30 hours over seven sessions.

The facilitator does some prep work prior to the sessions by creating the framework and ensuring each step is achievable and enjoyable for the artists.

One of the sponsors, Powertex, introduced a new medium to them and they loved the experimental process of using it on a three dimensional artwork.

Ability Arts team leader Tennille O’Neill said the benefits of working on the artwork collectively were that artists could work to their own strengths, push boundaries and together create a wonderful wearable garment.