From broken to beautiful… mosaic magic at Elsternwick
Last term, we were delighted to welcome renowned Australian artist Pamela Irving to the Elsternwick Campus as our Artist in Residence. With a focus on recycling, creativity and collective action, Pamela led students from Prep to Year 9 through an inspiring artistic journey, transforming broken and discarded ceramics into meaningful works of art.
With generous support from our school community, students collected an array of unwanted and broken china and ceramic pieces, items once destined for landfill. Wearing protective goggles and using tile cutters, they carefully broke these items into smaller fragments, sorting them by colour to create a vibrant palette for a permanent mosaic installation.
Inspired by the themes of strength, courage and community, our Year 1 and 2 students began by sketching lions, which were then enlarged and transferred onto special boards to form the foundation for their mosaics. With patience and creativity, students worked collaboratively to carefully select and place each ceramic tile by hand, slowly bringing their lions to life. Once grouted and gently cleaned, their vibrant designs were revealed - each one a unique reflection of student imagination and teamwork.
This project not only produced beautiful artwork, but taught students valuable lessons about recycling, collaboration and creative expression. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Pamela Irving for sharing her extraordinary talent with our students, and to our families for their enthusiastic support.
Now permanently installed in five locations across the campus, these mosaic lions stand as proud symbols of what is possible when our community comes together with heart, purpose and imagination.
