RAE SAHELI
Rae Saheli is an artist living and working on Bundjalung Country. A longtime resident of Queensland’s Gold Coast. Rae completed an Advanced Diploma in Visual Arts at TAFE NSW, in 2020, and is currently employed as a Technical Assistant in the Visual Arts department. No longer interested in the application of paint to render the world in expressive or colourful ways, Rae’s work is unique in that her primary mark making tool is a 12-gauge shot gun. Drawing on over twenty years experience as a clay target shooter her process favours chance and chaos, over any sense of pictorial order. Rae’s work has been featured on ABC‚ ‘What’s Your Story’, SWELL Sculpture Festival, Industrial SWELL, Gallery Downtown annexe of Tweed Regional Art Gallery, Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Brunswick Street Gallery, Woolloongabba Art Gallery. Rae has undertaken Artist in Residence programs at Placemakers (2023) and The Walls Art Space (2020).
Can you describe your creative process from concept to completion?
My creative process starts with sketching and planning the sculpture’s design. Once I have a clear vision of the sculpture’s overall form and movement, I use a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot at the material, creating distinctive and explosive marks on the aluminium sheets. This unique technique infuses the material with frenetic energy, and I then shape and mold the aluminium into expressive and dynamic sculptures.
Where do you look for inspiration? What themes do you find most interesting?
I find inspiration in the tension between chaos and control. Using a 12-gauge shotgun to create my work, I’m fascinated by themes of unpredictability, energy, and the raw power of explosive marks. This process-based approach allows me to explore the beauty within destruction and the unexpected outcomes that arise.
What role does location or environment play in your sculptures?
I create based on what and how I feel, allowing the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the process to guide the outcome. This method emphasises personal expression over the influence of a specific location or environment.
How do you feel when you see people interacting with your sculptures?
It’s incredibly rewarding to see the community engaging with my work, interpreting the explosive marks and dynamic forms in their own unique ways. Their reactions and interactions bring the sculptures to life, adding layers of meaning and creating a shared experience that goes beyond my initial creation.
Describe your dream project.
My dream project is a large-scale public sculpture, this piece would be crafted from aluminium, shot with a 12-gauge shotgun to create explosive marks and intricate textures.The sculpture would be designed to interact with its surroundings, perhaps installed in a bustling park or an outdoor space. The sculpture would feature abstract forms that twist and curve, inviting viewers to walk around and through the installation, experiencing it from multiple perspectives.It would be a space for community interaction, sparking curiosity and dialogue, and leaving a lasting impression on all who encounter it.
Website raesaheliartist.com
Instagram @rae_saheli_artist
Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 6th – 15th September.