The Story Behind The New Peace Prize Trophy
This year, the venerable Judge Navi Pillay will receive the Sydney Peace Prize trophy, hand-crafted by Aboriginal steel artist Wayne McGinness. This new design was revealed for the first time last year when it was awarded to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The trophy’s design was inspired by raindrops, which start off small, but send ripples outwards which overlap with one another. This reflects the interconnectedness of our lives; no action is isolated, and even the smallest of ‘drops’ can be significant.
“The idea was layers and layers of different rings, connecting and overlapping,” Mr McGinness says. “[It represents] the effect one drop has on other people.” Like ripples, every step towards peace has the power to radiate outwards, impacting lives far beyond our own.
Movement is central to his art. “That’s what I love about steel. You can sort of suspend pieces in animation,” he says. In this work, it reminds us that peace is carried forward by action and motion, and that rather than being fixed, peace is always evolving and changing shape.
When he was commissioned to make the trophy, Mr McGinness wanted to create something unique: “I didn’t want to make just a stock piece,” he says. “I was actually very honoured to make this trophy. I think [peace] is probably the most important thing we have at the moment.”
With stainless steel as his medium, he invented his own formula for steel dye which he makes himself. The process of creating his work involves hours of designing, making sure the intricate pieces will stay together. He then puts his designs into a program to be read by a laser, which cuts them with precision.
“I think my wife put it best once. She said that I’m trying to combine tradition with technology,” he says.
He developed his expert steel-working skills through a 21-year career as a steel fabricator working in mine sites, towns, and remote communities. In 2008, he wondered whether he could put his steel-working skills to a different use. Taking inspiration from his parents, both of whom were painters, he began by creating works of Australian animals.
“I wanted to do something a little bit different, and came up with the idea of doing my own style of Aboriginal art in steel,” he says. “I couldn’t see anybody else doing that.”
More of Wayne McGinness’ work can be found on his company website, Aboriginal Steel Art.
By Molly Teskey, University of Sydney Intern