#1 I studied architecture because it felt esoteric and I saw it as a way to combine my two favourite school subjects – art and physics. After 6.5 years of intense university study and many more of practice I left it behind. I loved designing organic, sculptural forms. Now I want to do that with immersive public sculptures. (B.Architecture 2005, B.Sc(Architecture) 1992).
#2 I changed my name to Orly in 2019. I didn’t hate my old name (Charmaine) but it was ‘meaningless, long to spell, and almost always spelt wrong. I chose Orly, a Hebrew name meaning ‘my light’, because it was short, meaningful, and it represented ‘closing the circle’ from C to O. I had a lot of ego/past tied up with the name Charmaine. Orly feels like an invitation to connect to spirit and expand.
#4 in 2006, with a three month old baby, I created a walk-in sculpture,‘Vortex’, for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. The sculpture was on Tamarama beach for the two week exhibition and thousands of people walked (and crawled) through it. This was a magical experience in many ways.
#5 in 2015, lost but hopeful, I designed ‘Cloudscape’ for Sculpture by the Sea. The piece was accepted but was beyond my capacity at the time. I intend to bring this piece to life.
‘Cloudscape’ combines sculpture and public space to bring people together, in a spirit of play, to open up to new perspectives. The journey of Cloudscape has been a driving force for me to heal and connect with others.
I envision Cloudscape built in spaces where conflict is, or has been, present.
Cloudscape is an invitation and a symbol for peace, hope and reconnection.
#6 After traveling overseas at the age of 18 I felt ashamed meeting overseas people who knew Australia better than I did. I vowed to explore Australia on my return. In the years that followed I bushwalked, bicycled, motorbiked, bussed, trained, hitchhiked and drove my way around and through Australia, settling in Darwin, Sydney and northern NSW.
#7 The Berlin Wall came down on my 19th birthday. I’d hitchhiked out of Berlin just two weeks before, including a visit to East Berlin, and there were no signs the wall was about to come down.
#8 As a kid I was super religious. I went to a Roman Catholic school and latched on to the rituals and beliefs to give my life meaning. Through prayer and faith I was confident and successful. But I was outsourcing my power and lost it when I gave up on God at age 13.
#9 I grew up completely disconnected .. from the world, from people and from myself. I didn’t even know the moon changed. Now I love to feel connected, and the ocean and the moon are my favourite ways to connect with the natural world.
#10 When I was 22 I moved from Sydney to Darwin. I love summer so Darwin was paradise. I thought I would live there forever.
