Delicate Life

Tineke Van der Eecken & Natalie Warburton, 2025. Vascular corrosion cast of Red-tail Cockatoo, methylmetacrylate, 180 × 140 × 50 mm.

Sculpting the essence of endangered wildlife

From June 2025 to May 2026 I am based at Murdoch University School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences as an honorary research associate, working closely with A/Prof Natalie Warburton to create sculptures of endangered wildlife native to the coastal wetlands and other vulnerable habitats in Western Australia. I am lucky to have some grant support from Cultural Industries (CITS) to do more innovative corrosion casting of animals such as honey possum, quenda and Red-tail cockatoo in a safe and ethical, controlled environment at the university laboratories. A first public presentation of the project will be held at the 2026 Wetlands Conference in Perth.

The lab work will result in a series of delicate resin sculptures. These will form the basis of further work in my home workshop and metal studio. I am so looking forward to this creative development stage, and can’t wait to collaborate with scientists, a 3D designer and a studio mentor over the next 8 months. Stay tuned for further news!