Darrell Sibosado is included in Vivid Sydney 2026.
Manawan is ode to Bardi Jawi Country in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, the work reimagines the towering tropical gum trees, known as woolybutts, that shape the landscape and cultural life of the north. Installed between Circular Quay and The Rocks, Manawan forms a forest of seven steel poles, each illuminated by vertical bands of light that glow day and night.
Created by Bard artist Darrell Sibosado, the installation reflects on the deep ecological, cultural, and medicinal significance of the Manawan tree for Bard and Jawi peoples, traditionally used for shelter, tools, and weapons and sustained through cool-season cultural burning practices.
Shining across all angles, Manawan radiates with a restorative presence, its generous light symbolising the life force and healing energy held within the trees, the land, and Country. Through the work, Darrell reiterates that Aboriginal culture is a living, adaptive culture that commands presence and power in contemporary art and society.
