We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.
Lola Greeno / Palawa people / Australia b.1946 / Teunne (king maireener shell crown) 2013 / King maireener shells on wire / 25cm (diam.) / Collection: Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston / © The artist
Lola GreenoTeunne (king maireener shell crown) 2013
Not Currently on Display
Lola Greeno’s works draw attention to the environmental change threatening the fragile natural ecosystems where she collects her shells. Changing weather patterns and climatic disturbances are causing damage to the shell beds on the ocean floor. The magnificent king maireener shells (rainbow kelp shell) that were once plentiful are now rarely found. Their rarity and preciousness is acknowledged by the artist in Teunne (king maireener shell crown) 2013, a ‘crown’ of shells threaded on stainless-steel wire.
Lola Greeno creates shell necklaces using techniques passed down from her Palawa Elders in Tasmania. Greeno’s traditional and experimental neckpieces are celebrated for their unique patterns
and exquisite composition of beautiful shells. Painstakingly collected from the beaches of Tasmania, the shells are treated using centuries-old cleaning and polishing processes so they retain their lustre before they are threaded. In ancient Palawa tradition, shell necklaces are often presented as gifts to important visitors as a mark of esteem.
As a Palawa Elder, Greeno engages the support of her family to continue ancient traditions, ensuring that younger generations learn and experience the meditative processes of collecting and threading shells, and maintain a connectedness with their island home.