The Darlington Station Reserve comes alive with diverse artworks displayed along the trail, amongst the curated native understorey and suspended between the trees.

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Statement:

This installation explores resilience through forms inspired by tree burls - knobby growths that develop under stress. Translucent lanterns with lines echoing burl patterns, softly glow, blending man-made and natural elements to reflect on human impact and nature’s healing. 

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Made up of 17 clusters of white nylon fabric lanterns of different sizes, hanging in the branches and trunk of a living tree. The lanterns are shaped to look like tree burls, those knobby, unusual growths that appear when a tree is hurt or under stress.

The fabric is light and see-through, so light shines softly through each lantern. Some have small solar-powered lights inside that glow gently at night. This soft glow shows how something beautiful can come from nature’s struggles.

By using everyday lanterns, the work connects man-made objects with the natural world. The lines on the lanterns remind us of the pattern and textures found on real burls, blending the artificial with the organic.

The piece invites us to think about how we affect the environment and how nature heals and grows, even when it’s under pressure.

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