SAMMY HAWKER

Ghost Bells, 2025 selected as a finalist in the 2026 Goulburn Art Award. The Goulburn Art Award represents the talent and diversity of artists working within the Goulburn region.

This work is a 4x5 photographic negative processed with water from the North Sea, created at the site of the medieval city of Dunwich. Dunwich was lost to storm surges and coastal erosion during the 13th Century. It is said the sound of church bells can still sometimes be heard ringing out from beneath the waves during stormy weather. Co-creating a photograph with ocean water breaks open the frozen moment, corroding and changing the image as a new type of visual logic emerges. This work reflects the notion that water holds memory - the image reflecting mysterious resonances to the sites’ meteorological history. 

Ghost Bells was developed during a partnered residency exchange between Messums Org & The Corridor Project - also supported by Britten Pears Arts, Ian Potter Cultural Trust and artsACT.

2026 FINALISTS: S.A. Adair; Jennifer Adams; Valentina Albert; Alison Alder; Karen Alexander; Phil Alldis; Alex Asch; Katrina Barter; Nicci Bedson; John Bokor; Zoe Brand; Tom Buckland; Lucinda Chambers; Liz Coats; Rowan Conroy; Claire Cusack; Ham Darroch; Nicola Dickson; Bill Dorman; Tom Duffy; Eggpicnic (Christopher Macaluso and Camila De Gregorio); Lynne Flemons; Sarah Fordyce; Elliott Fox; Hannah Gason; Agneiska Golda; Harriet Goodall; Helen Goodwin; Lorna Grear; Saskia Haalebos; Lizzie Hall; Melissa Hammond; Miranda Hampson; Craig Handley; Aedan Harris; Sammy Hawker; Prue Hazelgrove; Tessa Hoser; Robin Howard; Nicole Ison; Cecilia Järdemar, Emily Kerr; Rosalind Lemoh; Tracy Luff;   Allison MacKay; Anjani Mane: Rebecca Mayo and Diedre Martin; Karri McPherson; Ray Monde; Jo Morris; Charlie Nelson; Racquel Ormella; Kathryn Orton; Bonnie Porter Greene; Hannah Quinlivan; Emma Rani Hodges, Annika Romeyn; Penny Sadubin; Lisa Stevenson; Teo Treloar; Yvette Tziallas; Pia Van Gelder; John R Walker; and Zoe Young.