News

Glass art speaks to fragile past – major commission at Australian War Memorial

Over 1800 glass eucalypt leaves created by Annette Blair evoke memories and the Australian landscape as a first encounter in the new War Memorial entrance.

27 Feb 2025 17:07

Gina Fairley

Woman in black top with dark hair looking at floating sculpture of glass leaves. Annette Blair

Visual Arts

Annette Blair ‘Quiet Skies’ 2025. Photo: Adam McGrath for Canberra Glassworks.

As the Australian War Memorial’s (AWM) rebuild advances, one of its signature new art commissions that defines the new building has been unveiled.

Created by Canberra glass artist Annette Blair, some 1800 handcrafted glass eucalypt leaves gently fill a two-storey void of the spiral stairwells that are part of the new main entrance to the memorial.

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Gina Fairley

Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina