A PLAYFUL new Town of Bassendean public artwork celebrating friendship and local wildlife will soon bring colour, character and creativity to Palmerston Square Reserve.

Titled Friends Rock!, the artwork features a motorbike frog and a tawny frogmouth waving hello to each other on large rocks stacked atop each other.

The characters celebrate local fauna commonly found in Bassendean parks and backyards, while reflecting the reserve’s role as a much-loved gathering place for families.

Created by artists Amy Perejuan-Capone and Penny Min Ferguson, Friends Rock! draws on the artists’ personal connections to Bassendean and Lockridge, as well as their shared childhood experiences growing up among the area’s natural environment.

Ms Perejuan-Capone was a former Lockridge Senior High School student who began exhibiting at the Art Gallery of Western Australia through an artwork done for school in Year 12.

She has since gone on to work worldwide with sculptures in Australia and overseas, with a portfolio that includes humour and moments of solemn reflection.

Ms Ferguson is a graphic designer who specialises in ceramics, painting, fine jewellery and textiles and has extensive experience capturing the charm of children’s storybook style illustrations.

Ms Ferguson is known as Min Pin and her work has been exhibited and published both domestically and internationally and has also collaborated with various clients including Woolworths, Samsung, Melbourne Museum, The National Gallery of Victoria, Halcyon Nights and Penguin, among others.

Planned to stand at about 1.2m tall, the work combines rugged natural boulders with vibrant colours, painted finishes and multi-textured forms.

The sculpture’s appearance and material selection draws inspiration from the area’s waterways with iron-oxide stained rock being used for the rocks the two animals will perch on.

The artists said the sculptural installation was a celebration of the natural areas in Bassendean and the friendships that form in the town.

“Friends Rock! is a unique sculptural installation capturing a moment of joyous camaraderie between, two well-known local characters, the wise yet goofy tawny frogmouth and the raucous but shy motorbike frog,” they said.

“Each species was specially chosen to represent us as friends and our contrasting personalities.

“Our sculpture celebrates life in Bassendean by highlighting the everlasting friendships fostered in the area.

“Situated in Palmerston Square, a site of personal significance to us and a hub for local families, the work acts as a mirror to the community.

“Every element is designed to make the viewer grin as much as we did (while) creating it.

“Amy’s traditional bronze frog contrasts with the contemporary style of Penny’s owl (which are) distinct critters that prove you can be different and still be best friends. The contrast between the rugged, ancient permanence of the natural boulder, the vibrant colours, and the multi-textured animals reflects the enduring nature of friendship.”

Mayor Kath Hamilton said Friends Rock! captured the spirit of Bassendean perfectly.

“This artwork is joyful, a little quirky and also proudly local, just like our community,” she said.

“Palmerston Square Reserve is already a favourite place for families, and Friends Rock! will add another reason to stop, smile and spend time together.”

Installation of the sculpture is expected by September with the project fully funded through the developer, requiring no municipal funding.

The sculpture marks the first of five planned public artworks across the Town of Bassendean, with future installations proposed for Anzac Terrace Reserve, Collier Road, Park Estate Reserve and Success Hill Reserve.