About

 

 

Artist Statement

My work is driven by a practical concern for waste and a desire to create meaningful objects with a lighter environmental impact. I work primarily with a medium I make from scratch called Cardcrete — made from recycled paper and cardboard collected locally. It has a clay-like quality that allows me to build vessels, sculptural forms and wall pieces with texture and physical presence.

My background in zoology means I think about systems — how materials move, change and can be used with more responsibility. Using recycled materials is a core value of living sustainably for me. I’m interested in how something that would usually be thrown away can become durable, expressive and worth holding onto. I hold the belief that materials carry stories, and that the way we create matters. Repurposing discarded fibres is both a sustainable act and a way of paying attention to what is often overlooked — giving it weight, beauty and presence. The forms I make are textured and tactile, showing the process of hand-building. Colour and design comes later, as the final step of the works' evolution.

Much of my inspiration comes from antiquity — the weathered walls of Pompeii, ancient fresco portraits, and the repetition of Greek and Roman pattern work. I’m drawn to surfaces that show age and touch, where beauty comes from what has been worn away rather than what is pristine. These textures and motifs often find their way into my pieces, I want my work to feel lived-in, like it could have existed long before now, and could continue to hold meaning long after.

The work often has bold colour and a handmade surface that shows the process of making. I don’t try to hide its origins. Instead, I aim to show what’s possible when we rethink our relationship with everyday materials. My goal is for the viewer to see that beauty and sustainability can exist together in a direct, approachable way.

- Penny Brooshooft, Artist

Artist Bio

Penny Brooshooft is a Perth-based artist working with recycled materials to create sculptural forms and wall pieces. With a background in zoology, she draws on a lifelong connection to ecology and material reuse, informing both the conceptual and practical aspects of her work. 

Her practice centres on the reimagining of waste into tactile forms, ranging from vessels and objects to vibrant wall sculptures. Her signature technique involves transforming waste paper and cardboard into a versatile, clay-like material she affectionately calls "Cardcrete". Using this material, Penny creates works that are textured, colourful and grounded in hands-on making. Her practice focuses on giving new life to discarded materials and encouraging a more thoughtful relationship with what we throw away. 

Penny’s work highlights that sustainability and creativity can support each other, and that recycled materials can be transformed and re-valued in beautiful new ways.