When Maggie Sandles first submitted her art to Deaf Children Australia as part of our first ever exhibition, she had no idea that her art would quite literally reach the heights that it has.
Last year, Maggie submitted a self-portrait depicting the theme ‘This Is Me’ where she described what it’s like to have Usher Syndrome Type 1C. “Sensory disabilities are invisible, hidden, not obvious… The impact of low vision and deafness are impossible to describe separately, let alone in combination.”
“I am whole as I am, complete in making my way in the world, in my community.” – Maggie Sandles
Through Deaf Children Australia’s annual art exhibition, Maggie’s self-portrait of a deafblind girl captured the attention of Crema Constructions, who then commissioned her to create a unique piece of art for their Gallery in the Sky initiative.
Crema Constructions provided Maggie with the theme ‘Living in Melbourne’ which she responded to through an oil painting depicting Melbourne’s Yarra River at dawn. Maggie spent many hours rowing on the Yarra in the mornings before school, and her art expresses how she saw Melbourne from the river.
Her artwork has been enlarged to 6.3m high x 11.81m long and has risen up to an incredible 40 storeys at the Madison Grand, 344 City Road, Southbank and will be there for close to 12 months.
The Gallery in the Sky initiative has been around since 2015 and is a way for Crema Constructions to showcase the work of emerging artists on major construction sites around Melbourne.
Deaf Children Australia runs an annual art exhibition for deaf and hard of hearing young people aged 8 to 23 years. Have a go at creating a piece of art that responds to this year’s theme, ‘Everyone is Different.’
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