Sea Change

With over 100 artworks spread along more than two kilometres of coastline and upwards of half a million people expected to visit, this year's 16^th annual Sculpture By The Sea exhibition will be seriously big, by pretty much any measure.

It's not something you need to tell emerging artist Elyssa Sykes-Smith, who has been selected to participate in the event, despite still being in the final year of her fine art degree at the National Art School. “It's very exciting to be involved,” she says. “It's a public event and gets a lot of coverage each year, so it's a really good way of getting exposure.” And with such a massive turnout anticipated, it's a rare opportunity for sculptors – not typically the most high-profile members of the arts world – to enjoy a bit of time in the spotlight.

The event stretches from Bondi to Tamarama and, being outdoors, the setting was naturally a major consideration for Sykes-Smith's contribution. “My sculpture is a life-size figurative artwork that I've constructed from off-cuts of timber that I drilled together, and it will be hanging along a cliff wall,” she says. “I've been focusing a lot on wooden construction recently, which I really discovered at the end of last year. I'm really enjoying exploring it as a material because the geometric nature of timber lends itself to describing the human form – not in a literal way, but in one that incorporates cubist elements.”

As for what else she'll be exhibiting alongside, Sykes-Smith isn't sure what to expect. “I've talked to a few other artists about what they're doing, but I haven't actually seen any of the other artworks, so I'm very much looking forward to doing the walk and seeing them all for myself.”

With a line-up of national and international artistic talent, being chosen for the event is no small honour, but Skyes-Smith was also one of three participating artists to receive a Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Sculptor Mentorship; an award that not only recognises she's certainly a talent to watch, but which is also worth $10,000.

Over the past year, Skyes-Smith has been involved in a handful of other exhibitions, including last year's Arts In The Valley Festival, held in Kangaroo Valley, where she walked away with the People's Choice Award. “That was really encouraging and although it was a very different exhibition from Sculpture by the Sea, having that positive recognition was really nice.”

Although clearly a talented sculptor, Skyes-Smith has also dabbled in other artistic pursuits. “Doing the Bachelor of Fine Art, you have to choose a major and it's always difficult – I really love painting and drawing as well – but I do see myself being a sculptor and I'm definitely really enjoying it at the moment.”

As for what's on the cards once the event wraps up, Sykes-Smith says she's keen to stay on at the Art School. “I'd like to continue studying and do Honours, because I feel like I'm in a productive phase and I'd like to keep that momentum going.”

This year's exhibition is not simply a great opportunity to see the work of some of the most talented national and international sculptors, but with the weather warming up, it's also a very good reason to find yourself in Bondi over the next few weeks – as if you needed another one.