30 Women, 30 Careers: Celebrating Diversity
Career — Wildlife Rehabilitator
This sculpture tells the story of those who dedicate their lives to caring for injured and vulnerable animals — mending broken wings and restoring fragile lives with gentle hands and tireless devotion.
Wildlife rehabilitators care for sick, injured and orphaned native animals, helping them recover with the aim of returning them to the wild whenever possible.
Their work requires patience, knowledge and compassion, but also the understanding that successful rehabilitation ultimately means letting the animal go.
The figure leans into a dynamic posture, symbolising the delicate balance between care and release, holding on and letting go.
I wanted to capture a moment in the life of a wildlife rehabilitator where compassion is expressed not through possession, but through temporary care. The animal is nurtured, protected and given the time it needs to recover — but the ultimate goal is freedom.
The bird cage positioned above the woman’s head represents this responsibility. It is both a place of protection and a reminder that the animal’s stay is temporary. A small bird rests gently on her shoulder, suggesting trust, recovery and the quiet bond that can develop between a human being and a wild creature.
When the bird has regained its strength, the cage can be opened. The rehabilitator releases what she has cared for, knowing that the greatest expression of love is not to keep it, but to return it to the wild.
The wildlife rehabilitator represents a woman whose compassion extends beyond the human world. Her work requires more than technical knowledge. It asks for patience, resilience and a willingness to care for vulnerable creatures through difficult and uncertain moments.
She must also understand when to step back. Her success is measured not by how long she can hold on, but by whether the animal is strong enough to leave her care.
This sculpture therefore celebrates a particular kind of strength — the strength to nurture, protect and ultimately let go.
The cage represents protection and responsibility. It provides a safe environment for an injured animal to recover, while also symbolising the temporary nature of rehabilitation. It is deliberately positioned above the figure, making it an integral part of her physical and emotional burden.
The revised cageOpen rather than enclosing, with the birds free to sit within it.
The birds represent vulnerable wildlife entrusted to human care. Their presence throughout the composition transforms the figure from an individual woman into a protector and temporary guardian of the natural world.
The bird resting on her shoulder represents trust and recovery. Its proximity to the woman suggests a relationship built through patience and gentle care.
The angled posture creates a sense of movement and instability. Rather than presenting the rehabilitator as a static figure, I wanted her to appear caught in a moment of action — leaning, reaching and responding. The movement also reflects the uncertainty inherent in rehabilitation: nothing is completely still, predictable or guaranteed.
From behind, the lean and the reach read as one movement.
At the heart of the sculpture is a simple idea: true care is found in giving freedom back to the wild.
This sculpture has become a continuing conversation between the form I imagine and what the clay will allow me to achieve.
The figure is intentionally constructed at an angle, creating a sense of dynamic movement. At this stage, I am focused on establishing the flow and connection between the head, torso, arms and surrounding elements rather than finalising every proportion.
The sculpture has also presented a number of structural challenges, particularly around the weight and support of the bird cage above the head.
The first cageA dome on a single narrow support, which could not hold.
The original cage structure proved unsuccessful. I constructed a domed form inspired by a traditional wire bird cage and positioned it at an angle above the head. The narrow supporting rod could not adequately support the weight, and the structure eventually failed under its own load.
Rather than abandoning the idea, I salvaged the usable section and reconsidered both the construction method and the meaning of the cage. The revised design uses a more open cage structure containing two birds, supported in a way that integrates more securely with the figure. Two additional birds sit on her shoulder, extending the idea of care beyond the cage itself.
The changes reduced the structural load and removed the dependence on a single narrow support point. Interestingly, the failure also improved the concept: the birds now appear less confined and more naturally integrated into the woman’s space.
At one stage, after removing its temporary support, the head decided to make a dramatic escape. It detached from the body and fortunately I caught it before it hit the floor. The support went straight back in.
Back on its support, where it stayed.
Moments like this are a reminder that working with a large hand-built clay figure is a constant negotiation between gravity, structure, material and intention. There have been moments when the sculpture seems to push back, asking to be understood rather than controlled.
So I keep adjusting, repairing and responding. Slowly, patiently, it is finding its form.
Settling the cage into place.
Finished — fired & glazed
This piece is awaiting its bisque and glaze firing. Finished photographs will be added here once it comes out of the kiln.
For enquiries about pricing or to commission a piece, please contact lee.anchor@optusnet.com.au.