Kent Morris: Where We Walk

Kent Morris' Where We Walk is one of 2 artworks commissioned for the Metro Tunnel's eastern tunnel entrance in South Yarra, as part of the Legacy Artwork Program.

The artwork will sit in the South Yarra Siding Reserve, which will reopen to the public this year with new landscaping, seating and site-specific artworks.

Where We Walk was inspired by the significant flaked stone artefacts uncovered at the reserve, which speaks to its long connection with the Wurundjeri people.

The work was chosen after the Metro Tunnel Project sought expressions of interest in 2021 from Victorian First Nations artists to create a permanent public artwork for the reserve.

A render of a geometric sculpture with 2 birds perched on top, at a park. — Artwork by Ken Morris at the tunnel entrance in South Yarra – concept only

A render of people staring at a geometric sculpture with 2 birds perched on top, at a park. — Artwork by Ken Morris at the tunnel entrance in South Yarra – concept only

About the artwork

Where We Walk will be a cultural marker of respect, connection, and knowledge. It represents First Nations knowledge systems embedded in Country throughout the area, and across the entire country.

Morris hopes the work will inspire the public to open their hearts and minds, look and listen deeply on their journey through the reserve, and embrace the knowledge embedded in Country.

Artist statement

'The overall sculptural form acknowledges and pays respect to the long occupation and daily activities of Wurundjeri people from time immemorial to the present day. Combining the form and sharp edges associated with stone tools and the contemporary built environment, it represents a merging of the past and the present and the multiple uses of the site over time as a place of travel, cultural activity and gatherings.'

About the artist

A man in a black shirt crossing his arms and smiling to camera.

A Barkindji man who has lived most of his life on the lands of the Kulin Nation in Melbourne, Kent Morris graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts and is an alumnus of the National Gallery of Australia’s Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Program. Central themes in his art practice are the connections between contemporary Indigenous experience and contemporary cultural practices and their continuation and evolution.

By reconstructing the built environment through a First Peoples lens, Morris reveals the continuing presence and patterns of First Nations history, culture and knowledge in the contemporary Australian landscape, despite ongoing colonial interventions in the physical and political environments.

Morris' art practice explores identity, connection to place and the continuing evolution of cultural practices whilst engaging audiences to question long held frames of reference.

Visit Kent Morris' website and Instagram,

Download the Kent Morris Where We Walk fact sheet (PDF, 2.4 MB).