Hannah Quinlivan
Drawing Breath
Public Art Commission - to be installed in 2025
Hand beaten and welded aluminium 3mm flat bar ranging in width from 100mm to 250mm, coated in glossy white PPC.
15 metres long x 5 metres high
Location: To be installed in the Ginkgo Dam
This sculptural work by Hannah Quinlivan was commissioned to celebrate the National Arboretums' 10th anniversary since opening to public in 2013 and is anticipated to be installed in 2025.
Featuring three sculptural elements that will float just above the water's surface on the northern edge of the Ginkgo Dam, the sculptural forms will be arranged in an arc, a nod to the surrounding landscape with the undulations in the sculpture being influenced by the topography of the Arboretum's central valley.
Quinlivan states:
'A few years ago, I found myself digging in the soil by the Murrumbidgee River, just north of Canberra. Dealing with the news of my mother’s terminal cancer, I set about planting two and a half thousand trees. Each sapling served as more than a marker of my grief — they embodied a determination to reconstruct a future amid cycles of life and death. I was shaping the world not just for me, but for my children and grandchildren—turning the soil to find solace and purpose amid loss. Since that time I have become a planter. Each death and each birth is marked by new saplings placed within the earth’s embrace.
Drawing Breath is a sculptural installation that reflects on transformation and reconstruction. It will be situated in the dam at the heart of the National Arboretum in Canberra, a site that itself rose from the devastation of the Canberra bushfires. Just as new life took root in the ashes, this artwork symbolises the beauty that can emerge from devastation, nurturing hope for the future.'
Drawing Breath stands as a reminder that we must do more than remember or reflect — we must work to build a more beautiful future together.
Created from folded and fused aluminium, the topographic folds are in dialogue with the contours of the Arboretum's sloped and terraced landscape. The sculptures undulations suggestive of leaves or petals, maintain a delicate balance between abstraction and organic form. Positioned on the dam’s surface, they create a secondary layer of artwork through their reflection in the water. This mirroring effect invites visitors to contemplate the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world.
Viewable to pedestrians, and from various vantage points such as the Arboretum’s Village Centre and Dairy Farmers Hill, the sculpture will serve as a landmark along the Tuggeranong Parkway and a feature to welcome visitors to the Arboretum.
Hannah Quinlivan graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2013 and is currently a PhD candidate within the ANU School of Art & Design.