MELISSA ELLERO
CONCEPTUAL CERAMICIST




      STORIES OF SEEDS SERIES “KARRAK” 2025
      ICONIC & STARVING
 
      This abstract sculptural series  continues the environmental narrative of her previous series, Death by   
      A  Thousand Cuts, which imprinted the heartwood of logged trees to highlight the devastating impact
      of bauxite mining in the Perth Hills. This new work focuses on the Forest Red-tailed Black
      Cockatoo—known as “Karrak” in Noongar language—and its vanishing habitat.

      The last remaining Jarrah forests, along with Marri, Blackbutt, Karri, and Sheoak trees, are
      disappearing at an alarming rate. These trees are not only iconic—they are essential food and
      habitat. A single Karrak requires approximately 100 native nuts per day to survive. This installation
      comprises a selection of 100 wheel-thrown, altered, and hand-carved stoneware forms, raku-fired to
      reflect the rawness of the land. Each sculptural form echoes the geometry found in nature and the
      interconnected balance of the ecosystem. 
 
      Inspired by the seed formations scattered along the trails near her Mundaring Hills (Perth) studio, Storie of       Seeds-KARRAK is a metaphoric call to action— a seed of awareness. With every form, I invite viewers to
      consider the cost of deforestation, and to envision a forest that feeds future generations. 

    “The Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Karrak), endemic to south-western Australia, is listed as
      Vulnerable under both the WA Biodiversity Conservation Act and the federal EPBC Act, with fewer
      than 15,000 individuals remaining in the wild.”
© Melissa Statham 2025 - Design by Zena Rose Williams
Instagram @clay.and.fire