Kelly Manning is a constructivist artist operating from a queer, gubbah, army brat, survivor positionality. She interrogates modes of resilience, instinct, the post-apocalyptic and adaption. Her process-based methodology utilises, printmaking, painting, sculpture and installation, via public &

Drape @ VCA Artspace gallery 2024

"Drape" is a site-responsive installation made from salvaged polystyrene, dissolved, pigmented and cast using handmade clay molds. The panels, connected by cable ties, symbolise the destructive cycle of capitalism, waste and environmental degradation. Polystyrene, a ubiquitous and toxic material, embodies both the organic origins of fossil fuels and the synthetic reality of modern production. Through scale and repetition, Drape explores the psychological and physical effects of consumerism, revealing the pervasive presence of plastics in our environment and bodies.