Forty-four finalists have been selected from a total of 124 entries to exhibit at HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures 2023, being held from 21 October to 19 November 2023.

Considered one of Sydney’s most unique and culturally diverse sculpture exhibitions in the most unlikely of exhibition spaces – the Rookwood General Cemetery in South West Sydney – HIDDEN is a free, outdoor annual exhibition that showcases exhibits from participants spanning a diverse range of ages, experiences and backgrounds.

The 2023 exhibition will see works from three categories: Sculpture entries from artists (30), Schools (5) and Stonemasons (9) – the Stonemasons category was added for the first time this year in the exhibition’s 14-year history.

According to HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures exhibition curator, Dr Kath Fries, the entries received this year responded to themes that explored Rookwood’s contemporary relevance, diverse cultural practices, historical significance, celebration of life, personal stories, evocative sense of place, contemplation, history, cycle of life, death, grief, mourning, love and remembrance.

“I was delighted to receive a wide range of submissions this year, although this made selection challenging for the judging panel,” Dr Fries says.

“All the selected works respond to the contemplative atmosphere of Rookwood Cemetery, creatively reflecting on how we understand and experience death and grieving – what we believe in, what we value and how we live individually and together.”

Five schools will also be involved with works spanning contemporary, diverse, and traditional art forms from school children and teenagers to apprentices and tertiary art students, as well as established stonemasons and professional contemporary artists.

“I am particularly excited about this year’s exhibition. Alongside an intriguing range of contemporary artworks by midcareer, established and emerging artists in the long-running Sculptures section, HIDDEN has expanded to include insights into the creative imaginations of school children and teenagers in the Schools category,” Dr Fries says.

“The Stonemason’s category will bring the general public up close to see the traditional, finely honed, hand-carving skills of apprentice and established stonemasons, focusing on gothic architectural details set in the context of Rookwood Cemetery’s heritage and historic array of stonemason carvings on headstones, vaults and memorials over the past 150 years.”

HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures 2023 finalists

HIDDEN Sculptures – Artists

Kealey Bacic, Glenn Barkley, Lachlan Bell, Corey Black, Caitlin Bowe, Celine Cheung, Cole Cochran, Harry Copas, Crackpot Studios (Caroline Wright, Mandie Robertson, Sarah Robertson, Bridget Willis), Lisa Hölzl, Kumiko Delaney, Szymon Dorabialski, Entanglement (Belinda Piggott, Dinah Taprell, Jane Lush), Stevie Fieldsend, Emily Greenwood, Sylvia Griffin, Hyun Hee Lee, Virginia Keft, Soyoun Kim, Benita Laylim, Karlina Mitchell and Lee Mitchell, Clare Nicholson, Nicole O'Regan, Leyla Oz, NC Qin, Taryn Raffan, Monica Rudhar, Jayanto Tan, Jane Theau, Dianne Turner.

HIDDEN Schools

Amity College, Ashfield Public School, Barker College, Cabramatta High School, Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School.

HIDDEN Stonemasons

Dylan Brooks, Sach Killam, Daniel Kilminster, Luke McDermott, Harold McLean, Matt McLennan, Matthew Johnson, Josh Tilden, Daniel Tranter-Santoso.

Branko Miletic

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