Merran Hughes
  • Home
  • About
  • Sculpture
  • Writing
  • Instagram
  • Contact
Select Page

merranhughes

Artist and writer with a focus on the ocean, swimming culture and conservation
30th and final Alice Springs Beanie Festival this 30th and final Alice Springs Beanie Festival this weekend. I was proud to co-found the festival with Jo Nixon and Pamela Blayden, following Adi Dunlop's vision. I was artistic director for more than 20 years and saw the festival grow with exhibitions and workshops across Australia. Beautiful reconciliation event. Pulling together art and craft. Learning from the women of the central desert. Friendships stitched in place. Here's to Jo Nixon, Chief Beanieologist for dedicating her life to her community. Missing the desert. But I still have the sea! My final teatowel graphic for the festival! On Arrernte Country. #beanieseason #alicespringsbeaniefestival
Into the wax! Building and carving. Enjoying scali Into the wax! Building and carving. Enjoying scaling up the size of my sculptures. #weedyseadragon #australiansculpture #bronzesculpture #australianartist #australianbronze
Rocking my world! My husband found this stone shar Rocking my world! My husband found this stone shark while rock shopping for a sculpture base. There are some awesome plinths out there. If I'm needing ideas I'll be heading back to the quarries and garden centres! #prettyrocks #rockmyworld
White's seahorse in bronze. Mounted on recycled wh White's seahorse in bronze. Mounted on recycled wharf hardwood, from Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour. The White's seahorse also lives in the Harbour. Created @australianbronze #sydneyharbour #seahorse #contemporarysculpture #bronzesculpture #australiansculpture harbourrestore
Watch out for Mr Grumpy! Lion fish- bronze fresh Watch out for Mr Grumpy! Lion fish- bronze fresh from the foundry. I'm on the tools, cleaning him up today. @australianbronze #australiancontemporaryart #bronzesculpture #lionfish #australianart #contemporarysculpture
The Foreshore exhibition at Mosman Art Gallery is The Foreshore exhibition at Mosman Art Gallery is open over the summer. It includes unique seahorse sculptures in bronze and stainless steel. Their sale will support the @sydney_seahorse_project There's still a couple left! So come and be part of the #harbourrestoration story. Crafted in wax and cast in metal by @merranhughes The exhibition traces social, historical and the natural history of Mosman's foreshore. It includes seahorse photographs by local #citizenscientists in the harbour, and explains some of the harbour restoration projects, which make our harbour a more diverse and abundant habitat. Thanks so much to those who have supported this #marineconservation initiative! #sydneyweekend #sydneyweekender #whatsonsydney #mosman #whiteseahorse #seahorse #feelgoodstory #sydneyexhibition #contemporarysculpture #harbourrestore
A herd of seahorses, heading to #foreshore exhibit A herd of seahorses, heading to #foreshore exhibition @mosmanart, opening tonight. The artist"sprofits will be donated to @sydney_seahorse_project So buy one and be part of the restoration story. Supported by #australianculturalfund #contemporarysculpture #bronzesculpture #seahorse #iconicfishes @iconicfishes #sydneyharbour
#whitesseahorse in stainless steel. The emblem of #whitesseahorse in stainless steel. The emblem of #woollahracouncil, and one of the #iconicfishes found in #parsleybay In hope that the council supports Parsley Bay becoming a marine sanctuary at their coming meeting, to support these endangered beauties #artistsforconservation @iconicfishes @timeoutsydney @mitchell.d.brennan #woollahragallery #sydneyharbour #iconicfishes
A weedy seadragon, bronze and sandstone. Currently A weedy seadragon, bronze and sandstone. Currently part of the @toorakvillage sculpture exhibition until 12 October, 2025 Thanks for hosting us James! @eurocollections_toorak 451 Toorak Rd. Fun, art, participation. Thanks for supporting the arts, #toorak Enjoy the trail. #bronzesculpture #contemporarysculpture #seadragon #artcollector #australiancontemporaryart
Australian fur seal. Bronze Agile, curious, playfu Australian fur seal. Bronze Agile, curious, playful, gorgeous! This sculpture was commissioned for another water lover, and cast at Australian Bronze 834 fur seals were counted across New South Wales during the 2024 Great Seal Reveal. Most live at Baranguba (Montague Island- a no-take marine sanctuary.) #saveoursanctuaries #greatsealreveal @australianbronze #bronze #australiansculpture #ProtectWhatYouLove #FurSeal #OceanConservation #MarineWildlife
Weedy seadragon in bronze. Packed up and heading f Weedy seadragon in bronze. Packed up and heading for Melbourne. Sculpting through loss, as the South Australian algal bloom collapses beloved marine life and habitats, from the fragile dragon to rays, sharks dolphins. The Australian and South Australian governments have funded research and community monitoring projects to build understanding of the details. But the big picture is clear. We need decisive climate action. Time to honour 30 x30 commitments to help build resilience into our ocean communities. And hope! #climatechangeart #bronze #weedyseadragon #tooraksculpture #30x30pledge #oceanconservation @albomp @iconicfishes #iconicfishes #artistsforconservation
I loved being part of the #barretthouseresidency s I loved being part of the #barretthouseresidency supported by @randwickcouncil and the @ausculturalfund . Thanks to the wonderful arts team for their commitment to a creative community. Photos by @markbondphotography #makeculturehappen #australiancollector #australiambronzesculpture #australianartist #australiansculpture #knowhername
Wheeling swallows. Bronze Forged at #australiambr Wheeling swallows. Bronze Forged at #australiambronze #australiancontemporaryart #australiancollector #bronzesculpture #swallows #makeculturehappen Supported by @randwickcouncil @ausculturalfund
Bronze detail. Forged @australianbronze #bronze # Bronze detail. Forged @australianbronze #bronze #contemporarysculpture #australiambronzesculpture #knowhername
Into the blue - Small sculpture exhibition 10am- Into the blue - Small sculpture exhibition 10am- 2pm Fri 16 -Sunday 18 May Focusing on the coast and ocean of Sydney waters, the Gadigal and Bidjigal sea- country. Come by for a chat! Barrett House, Barrett Pl, Randwick, Sydney Part of the Barrett House residencies with @pandamoniumprojects supported by @randwickcouncil and the @ausculturalfund Thanks to @australianbronze for your support #australiancontemporaryart #australiancollector #australiambronzesculpture #bronzesculpture
Patinating the bronze Blue Lives on show at #barre Patinating the bronze Blue Lives on show at #barretthouseresidency this weekend 10-2pm Fri- Sun 16-18 May 2025. All welcome. Many thanks to @australianbronze team @randwickcouncil arts team and the @ausculturalfund for their support. #contemporaryaustralianart #bronzesculpture #australiancontemporaryart #weedyseadragon #contemporarysculpture #australiansculpture #australiancollector #weedyseadragon #makewaves #marineconservation #blueworld @iconicfishes #iconicfishes #artistsforconservation
Treasures in the rubble. Seriously engaged in the Treasures in the rubble. Seriously engaged in the lost wax process. Readying the pieces and thinking about assembly. As part of my @randwickcouncil residency . The art process that feels like archaeology. Kindly supported by the Australian Cultural fund. #swallow #lostwax #australianbronze #australiambronzesculpture #contemporarysculpture #australiansculpture #whatshername
The ceramic stage in #lostwax casting. My wax scul The ceramic stage in #lostwax casting. My wax sculpture is coated in ceramic and then fired. The wax melts out, leaving a hollow ceramic, ready for a bronze pour. I call this the schnitzel. #bronzesculpture #australianbronze #schnitzel #lostwaxcasting @randwickcouncil #barretthouseresidency Supported by Creative Australia
Interested in the bronze process? Peer into the st Interested in the bronze process? Peer into the studio this Sunday, for a chat about my practice and process. Image: Work in progress, plasticine figure Part of the Barrett House Studios Open House Artists talks, with Amanda Torrisi and Anna Voytsekhovich Registration at Humanitix 2-3pm Sunday 23 March Supported by @randwickcouncil Creative Australia and @ausculturalfund #australiancontemporarysculpture #sculpture
Puffer! Made in wax, and forged on bronze. Created Puffer! Made in wax, and forged on bronze. Created for my Puffers ocean swimming group trophy at the #bondiicebergs #pufferfish #toadfish #trophy #bronzesculpture #australianbronzesculpture
Follow on Instagram

The artist acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives her respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

  • Home
  • Sculpture
  • Writing
  • Instagram
  • Instagram
Merran Hughes ABN 18 560 347 905