Catherine Dinkelmann

Local Contemporary Art Prize 2026 – Finalist

Image courtesy of the artist.

Catherine Dinkelmann | Held together | 2025 | ceramic sculpture | 20 x 34cm

The two interlinked rings symbolise my dual identity, where I am neither fully African or Australian. Although I have not lived in Africa for over 20 years, the marks and forms I create seem to subconsciously echo my African roots.

One ring features lyrics by Toto about missing Africa: “It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you” and “I miss the rain down in Africa”.  The second carries lyrics by Geoff Bullock describing Australia as a land of “red dust plains and summer rains”.  References to "the great Southland of the Holy Spirit" represents the significant role of faith in my life and journey between both these South-lands.

With unintentional tribal-like marks and colours, this piece speaks to the concept of belonging, how we are shaped by the places we come from, and how we are held together by unseen connections to those places. Even subconsciously I am tethered to both these lands, my roots intertwined in a way that is more profound than I could have consciously mapped.

Creating this piece was both a gamble and a careful experiment, ensuring the two rings did not touch and crack during kiln shrinkage. Though completely independent, they remain perfectly linked, allowing the work to be displayed in multiple ways to reveal the unique and varied surface markings and inscriptions.