he Kookaburra Project | An original sculptural artwork by Shannon O’Neill

The beginning of something unexpected.

Kookaburra 001 is the first sculpture in The Kookaburra Project, an evolving exploration of form, colour, texture and the creative possibilities of transforming a familiar Australian bird into art.

Created from a mould taken from my original, hand sculpted kookaburra, each cast becomes a new starting point. I wanted to explore the contrast between realism and abstraction, using the same sculptural form as a canvas for different artistic interpretations.

For the first piece, I chose to stay closer to the natural character of the kookaburra, capturing its distinctive features and personality through hand painted acrylic detail. Finished with a matte varnish and a gloss resin coating over the eye, the sculpture brings together subtle surface textures and carefully considered details.

This is where the project begins. Future works will take the kookaburra in different directions, exploring new colours, textures and artistic expressions, with each sculpture accompanied by a related artwork.

A familiar Australian bird. A new creative possibility.

Artwork details

• Artist: Shannon O’Neill

• Artwork: Kookaburra 001: The Original

• Medium: Plaster cast, wire, hessian, acrylic paint, resin and matte varnish

• Finish: Hand painted, matte protective finish with a gloss resin eye

• Display: Wall hanging

• Installation: Integrated wire hook. Requires a suitable screw securely fitted into the wall.

• Dimensions: Approximately 37 cm wide × 27 cm high × 7 cm deep at the widest point. Dimensions may vary slightly depending on the angle at which the sculpture sits.

• Weight: Approximately 900 grams.

• Collection: The Kookaburra Project

An original artwork, hand finished by Shannon O’Neill.