Bankstown Elders' art featured in Sydney's Sculpture by the Sea

An artwork by a group of Bankstown Koorie Elders is on display at Sydney's annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. The exhibition spans from Bondi to Tamarama and will be open to the public for the next two weeks.

Bankstown Elders with their sculpture 'Place of our Dreams' . Source: NITV

'Place of our Dreams' is a sculpture like no other.

Created by a group of 11 Bankstown Koorie Elders, the 2.8 metre tall artwork is the product of six months' work.

Bankstown Koorie Elders Art Group with their sculpture.

The collective made the Dreaming totem poles to showcase their love for land and culture. 

"I'm proud, so proud of all the girls. They've done a beautiful job. It's very impressive standing out there looking at it. It's gorgeous," says Bankstown Elder Bev Miranda.

Each ceramic tile was hand carved by a member of the group.

Hand carved ceramic tiles.

Bankstown Elder Lola Simmons says each tile has special significance to the artist.

"The tiles represent all the different parts of our culture, we're all different tribes."

The Bankstown Koorie Elders creation is on display as part of the world's largest free outdoor sculpture exhibition.

The 20th annual instalment of Sculpture by the Sea features works from more than 100 artists from 17 countries, including a piece depicting Australia's offshore processing system.

Victorian artist Bronek Kozka is the man behind the topical work.

'Fair Dinkum Offshore Processing' by Bronek Kozka.

He says the sculpture has garnered a great deal of public support. 

"The sort of messages of support from people that I was getting really makes me understand that the Australian people have got one attitude towards refugees, and I think our political leaders have got a very different attitude towards refugees," Mr Kozka says.

West Australian artist Johannes Pannekoe claimed the exhibition's major prize for his sculpture "Change Ahead."

'Change Ahead' by Johannes Pannekoek.

He drove the almost four metre structure across the Nullarbor to take part in the exhibit. 

"It was just a privilege to be here in this exhibition, amongst a lot of friends and artists that I see as mentors, so to be selected is just crazy." 

Spanning two kilometres along the Bondi Coastal Walk, the free exhibition features work by artists from around the world.

"We have artists from Denmark to Japan, China, South Korea, England, Germany, Slovakia, Western Australia., everywhere," Sculpture by the Sea Director David Handley told NITV.

Sculpture by the Sea 2016 will be open to the public until November 9.