THE ICONIC Gold Coast ‘SWELL Sculpture Festival’, which features installations and sculptures along the coast at Currumbin Beach, has a local connection this year with Marcoola artist Harmony Linthorne, literally a ‘star’ attraction.

Regarded as one of Queensland’s most loved outdoor events and well known throughout Australia, the exhibition attracts more than 100,000 art lovers during the course of the ten-day event.

At just 22, Harmony’s Morning Star piece is a striking three-metre sculpture covered in shimmering gold and silver mirror tiles and set against the beach and ocean; the 10-point star catches the sunlight and reflects its surroundings, creating a different view depending on where one stands.

The effect is particularly eye-catching when people walk around the sculpture, with their reflections appearing alongside the sand, sky and ocean.

“Morning Star is designed to play with light and space while prompting moments of self-awareness,” Harmony said.

“By using mirrored surfaces outdoors, the artwork blurs the boundary between the viewer and the surrounding environment. As people move around the star, their reflection fragments alongside the sky and ocean, inviting them to consider their own physical presence within an ever-changing landscape.”

Harmony recently graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Visual Art and previously exhibited at SWELL with her interactive work ‘Wheelie Blossoms’; however, Morning Star is a bigger and more ambitious creation.

Ms Linthorne’s practice focuses heavily on audience interaction and psychological engagement with Morning Star, drawing on celestial imagery and ornamental excess to spark both playful wonder and moments of vulnerability, creating shifting encounters that alternate between attraction and disorientation.

Whilst the 2026 festival has finished, SWELL will return from September 9-19, 2027, and will mark the festival’s 25th anniversary. The festival attracts artists from across Australia and overseas, along with artist talks, guided sculpture walks, workshops, live music and other activities.

To see more of Harmony’s work, please visit her Instagram at @harmonylinthorne.art