Festival Artwork by
Caleb Nichols-Mansell
Caleb Nichols-Mansell is an early career mixed media artist and the Founder of Blackspace Creative Arts and Cultural Hub. He is a proud Tasmanian Aboriginal man with deep connections to country, community, culture, and spirit which all inform his practice and process as an artist and leader.
Currently living on the north-west coast of Tasmania with his partner, Caleb was born and raised in Launceston with his large and extended family. Caleb went to school first at Mowbray Heights Primary and then later at Brooks High School. After this he completed his first year of post-secondary education at Newstead College before moving on to the University of Tasmania where he studied and later worked for several years.
Caleb has an extensive portfolio in graphic design and digital art and has been commissioned by a number of leading institutes and organisations both within the state and nationally. Stepping outside of his comfort zone, he is beginning to experiment with large scale festival and public art installations as well as site responsive works which will be developed over the coming year.
Delving into and shining light on the politics of identity, land, and cultural heritage his artwork aims to generate conversation and evoke deep thinking whilst providing viewers with an intimate look at what it means to be Tasmanian Aboriginal man in modern day Tasmania.
The artwork is inspired by and representative of Princes Square as a gathering place both for the festival as its hub but also for the Tasmanian Aboriginal community who have held space in this park for decades.
What might appear as a green space to others is a refuge to our community, a piece of Country in the middle of a concrete jungle. It is a space that has been used for community meetings, gatherings, a place where community come together to meet, to share memories and to yarn.
This Country and its history is deep and layered, this is reflected through the line work. The circular shape and form of the design represents our circular knowledge systems and the deep connection we have to place. The four pathways represent the different journeys we undertake and as a whole represents the layout and built structure of the park today.
In connection to the festival, the line work represents the layers of knowledge, talent and creativity being shared through the festival and its program. The circular form represents the coming together of different communities and pathways we walk to come together in this shared space.
