From a Kaleen art studio to Bondi Beach, the journey of Judy Witherdin’s creation Phatyma

Posted on 8 October, 2026

For over 20 years, artists from Australia and around the world have been submitting their creations to be part of the Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi exhibition.

For Canberra-based artist Judy Witherdin, this year’s exhibition will be even more special than usual, with her work being selected as part of the showcase.

Judy creates sculptural glass mosaic pieces, with every single piece of glass tile hand-made in her Kaleen studio.

“I’ve only been putting my work forward for the exhibition for five years … and I really wanted to get in, and this year I was very lucky with the piece that I put in,” Judy says.

“I’ve submitted my work to the exhibition for five years without result, and this year feels very lucky with the sculptural piece I entered, called Phatyma.”

“Phatyma is a bright and beautifully colourful lady around 1.6 metres tall and weighing 150 kilograms.”

For Judy, the creation represents women fighting against repression under difficult circumstances and stands as a reminder that the human spirit can remain vibrant and defiant.

“Her gaze and presence ask us to consider the rights and freedoms that many take for granted and to recognise the courage of women who continue to fight for equality,” Judy says.

Phatyma has been a long time coming, with Judy saying it’s taken over three years for her to be created.

“That includes the process of design and then working out the physical process of putting her together from the internal structure to making the glass mosaic pieces.”

“The method of construction begins with a welded steel frame by the Queanbeyan company, Innovative Metalworx, covering the structure in wire and fibreglass mesh and a concrete slurry, then mosaicing the handmade glass tiles.”

Judy has been a practicing glass artist for over 40 years, after beginning her career as a leadlight artist.

“Needing to discover more with glass, I began working with warm glass, which is called fusing – working in a kiln, which is a basic way of describing the method.”

“It’s creating something from a mixture of different glasses that you put together and melt together to create your design. That’s describing it very basically,” Judy laughs.

While the process of creating the work is a big part of what Judy loves about art, she also loves seeing how her ideas evolve.

“It’s a process of evolving because when you first start out, you’re experimenting and doing a few different things,” Judy says.

“It’s amazing to watch people walk up to my rather large sculptures and say ‘Wow, that’s amazing’ and then let them discover the story behind the art piece.”

If a trip to Sydney isn’t on the cards to see Sculpture by the Sea, there are plenty more chances to see Judy’s work here in Canberra.

As part of the Design + Craft Canberra Festival in November, Judy will open up her gallery in Kaleen to the public.

Visitors to her exhibition –which starts on Saturday 7 November – will be treated to some of her masterfully crafted glass works, which include things like large platters, bowls, and jewellery, as well as pieces curated for this year’s exhibition theme of ‘Dissent’.

With this theme, the festival aims to explore how craft, design and creative practice can question what exists, challenge convention and imagine different ways forward.

“It’s brilliant because it allows people throughout Canberra to find out who the artists are, where they are and sometimes what their studios are like,” Judy says.

Alongside the festival, Judy will be opening up her garden in November to share her work.

“My husband and I have an open garden, which is a bit over 2000 square metres. It’s full of mostly native and bee-friendly plants, with many of my sculptures featured throughout the garden,” Judy says.

“It’s a nice little place to wander, and it’s full of the things I’ve created over the years.”

Images supplied.