Sheila

Commissioned for Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, Sheila is a monumental bronze sculpture by Justene Williams that reimagines the humble plastic superhero figurine as a powerful contemporary monument to the female form. Inspired by the artist’s young daughter and the archetype of the sheela-na-gig — a medieval carved female figure associated with protection, fertility and the warding off of evil — the work combines playfulness with strength, presenting a towering guardian with open hand, clenched fist and reflective stainless steel halo. Williams translates her exuberant visual language into permanent public sculpture for Brisbane’s riverfront precinct.