Collection Online
Medium
wood, paper, binder, marble dust, stain wax
Measurements
319.4 × 296.0 × (53.5) cm (installed)
Place/s of Execution
Tasmania
Accession Number
2024.123
Department
Contemporary Art
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Susan Jones and James McGrath, 2024
© Heather B Swann
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work

Heather B. Swann’s Ouroboros is a three-metre-wide sculpture, which has been meticulously carved and moulded by the artist in her Tasmanian studio. The coiled black figure, depicted consuming its own tail, embodies the arcane symbol of the ouroboros, prevalent in various ancient cultures including Celtic, Egyptian and Greek, often representing the cyclical nature of existence, self-reflexivity and the eternal cycle of life and death. Swann’s rendition captures not only the mysticism and eternal continuity inherent to this ancient emblem, but also the darker undertones of self-destruction and regeneration.