Interdisciplinary artist Karma Barnes has been awarded the prize at the largest and most internationally recognised art event in Cyprus. Her large-scale installation Co-Lapses is a scaled-up interpretation of the mud architecture built by wasps that inhabit her studio.

Using 31 earth pigments and oxides locally sourced from Cyprus, she constructed suspended vessels that slowly release fine layers of limestone, sand and pigment.

The work, influenced by biologist Janine Benyus’s theory of biomimicry, uses natural systems, not as symbols but as frameworks for sustainable design and adaptive thinking.

I’ll be chatting with Karma from her studio she shares with the wasps whose nests inspired the award-winning work. We'll chat about her recent international art adventures in Cyprus and Shanghai.

Following that we’ll be taking a drive to a little arm of the Byron Arts and Ind Est to visit the fine folk at Global Ripple in the lead up to the launch of their new space, and what a space it is!

I went along yesterday with my mic and was greeted by a fanfare of ripplers, baring drills, building structures, soring goods, sewing curtains, and generally everything else that needs to be done in the lead up to a grand opening of this very special community space, known as an op shop, but we all know it as so much more than that. 

Launch date: Saturday 15th November 9 - 4.30pm.

Look for the signs on Ewingsdale Rd near the Cavanbah Centre.