We are excited to share that Brisbane Grammar School art teacher Renee Coombe has been named a finalist in the 2025 Swell Sculpture Festival, Queensland’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibition. 

Renee’s collaborative piece, What Doesn’t Kill You Mutates and Tries Again, created with former BGS teacher Mandy Stuart, was recently showcased at the annual event held along Currumbin Beach. The festival draws over 400,000 visitors each year and features more than 80 large-scale installations spanning 1.5 km of coastline. 

The sculpture explores the resilience of native coastal flora, including wallum banksias, pandanus, and black she-oak, through abstract forms, contrasting with the ongoing impact of plastic pollution. Created using waste polyethylene and ceramic materials, the work prompts critical conversations around environmental sustainability and microplastics. 

As part of the festival program, Renee and Mandy have also been invited to give curator talks, offering insights into their creative process and the intersection of art, ecology, and education. 

Renee said that the project reflects the Brisbane Grammar School STEAM ethos, which emphasises real-world inquiry, creativity, and professional practice in the classroom. 

“This is a powerful opportunity to demonstrate how environmental art can engage students in meaningful learning,” she said. 

We congratulate both Renee and Mandy on this incredible achievement, acknowledging the impact of their professional practice on student learning and the broader community.