Ten Days on the Island

Festival CommissionsPublic Art
Written By Caleb Nichols-Mansell

An illuminated love letter weaving song, story, and environmental legacy in Pataway.

Commissioned for Ten Days on the Island, this illuminated public artwork was created as part one of the Love Letter to Pataway series. By weaving together adapted lyrics from Midnight Oil’s Burnie with reflections on environmental and cultural legacy, the work bridges the industrial history of Pataway with the enduring presence of Palawa culture. It stands as a call to action, a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect Country and an honour to those who have come before.

Client: Ten Days on the Island
Project Type: Festival Commission, Public Art
Location: Burnie, Tasmania
Year: 2025

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Caleb Nichols-Mansell

Caleb Nichols-Mansell moves between Country, culture, and contemporary practice — weaving stories from land, spirit, and community into powerful visual languages. As a proud Palawa man, Caleb's work bridges the ancient and the evolving, reimagining Aboriginal knowledge systems through design, public art, and digital storytelling.

His practice is rooted in Country and carried forward through site-responsive interventions, graphic and surface design, and large-scale public commissions. Through intricate textures, flowing linework, and bold organic forms, Caleb invites reflection on identity, resilience, and the enduring strength of Palawa people.

His works have been commissioned by leading institutions across Australia, including MONA, University of Tasmania, Arts Tasmania, Australian Fashion Week, Lifeline Australia, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; embedding stories of survival, connection, and contemporary Aboriginal identity into the cultural, public, and built environment.

www.calebnicholsmansell.com.au

https://www.calebnicholsmansell.com.au
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