MIDDLE Swan sculptor Ron Gomboc will be exhibiting at Sculpture by the Sea in both the Cottesloe and Bondi versions of the iconic event.

The exhibition is the world’s largest free to the public outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring more than 100 sculptures this year.

Since its inauguration in 1997, artists have competed to have their work exhibited as part of the exhibition, and over the 20 years of running, Sculpture by the Sea has shown more than 2650 sculptures by artists from 51 countries.

Mr Gomboc said his piece in the exhibition was inspired by the feeling of looking for sunshine on a cloudy day.
“All my sculptures are inspired by human emotions,’’ he said.

“Silver Lining is based on looking for a positive outcome when faced with adversity.

“My work is inspired by my life’s experiences and each sculpture must have its own story and meaning.”

Mr Gomboc was born in Slovenia in 1947 and said his formative years in Europe and his love for European sculpture continued to influence his craft and inspirations.

“I have been sculpting for more than five decades and the biggest influence was my childhood in Europe and exposure to some monumental, meaningful art,” he said.

“Creating a sculpture goes through phases, first an idea which is captured in a drawing, from there a small model or maquette is made which I then enlarge to the scale I want, in this instance more than 3m.

“All my work is designed and made in my studio in Middle Swan. Depending on the size and the materials it can take many months.”

Mr Gomboc’s sculptures have been exhibited in galleries and collections the world over, in countries including China, South Korea, the USA, France, Dubai, Oman, Malaysia, Singapore and in both public and private collections in Australia.

He was in the army, serving in the Royal Australian Engineers from 1969 until 1971 and started part time art studies at the Claremont School of Art while still in national service.

He said free-to-the-public exhibitions like Sculpture by the Sea helped build an artist’s profile and exposed their work to a bigger market.

“From the early days, exhibiting in outdoor exhibitions has been beneficial to my career, especially Sculpture by the Sea which gave me the opportunity to submit my design and then be accepted to participate at both Bondi and Cottesloe exhibitions.

“This created a great exposure not just to Australian public but to international curators and collectors,’’ he said.

Sculpture by the Sea will launch in Bondi on October 18 and will return to Cottesloe in March next year.