Hodges House Indigenous Project

As a part of giving Hodges House a ‘fresh look’, Hodges has decided to integrate some Indigenous artwork into our House.  Matt Fellingham, a First Nations artist and Awabakal man, visited Hodges to design and create a piece representing the story, history, and community of Hodges.  Matt conducted the first of two workshops during Reconciliation Week.  He joined the house for our evening roll call and gave us insights into his family history and what Reconciliation means to him, an Awabakal man. 

After we asked a few questions and Matt learned more about the varied backgrounds of the boys from Hodges, it became evident that unity was vital to us all.  As a group, we decided to call this new artwork “Unity”.  As a House, we have come together from different areas to live and work with each other.  Like the rest of Australia, Unity is important for Hodges as we have boarders from Hong Kong, the countryside of Australia, and the Torres Strait Islands.

The medium that we are using is a copper sheet, employing a traditional process called the Patina Method.  Different acids such as vinegar and lemon juice are used to oxidize the copper, creating a depth within the piece.  Various acids produce different colours on the copper to create a sense of importance with handprints of different people coming together.  Another amazing thing about this method of artwork is that as Hodges House ages, more handprints of men coming into the house can be added, creating more depth alongside the general oxidisation of the copper over time. 

Overall the men of Hodges House were grateful for the support and work of Mr. Fellingham and are excited to continue to work with him on this masterpiece in the weeks to come.

Finn Beachley (11HS)