Contemporary cultural precinct HOTA, Home of the Arts has today unveiled a major new outdoor artwork by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran at the entrance of the new HOTA Gallery. The $60.5 million HOTA Gallery will open on the Gold Coast on 8 May and will be Australia’s largest public gallery outside a capital city.

Commissioned by Melbourne Art Foundation (MAF) and HOTA, Sri-Lankan born, Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran has created a monumental six-metre high sculpture presented at the lower ground entrance to the Gallery. Predominantly composed of bronze, Nithiyendran has combined a range of materials including concrete, neon and fibreglass to create a multi-coloured avatar reflecting the vibrancy of the HOTA Gallery building. Holding a smiling neon companion and standing on a geometric plinth, this is Nithiyendran’s largest sculpture to date and the artist’s first ambitious work in the public domain. This significant artwork will welcome visitors inside the Gallery with outstretched arms and expressive and commanding tones.

Pictured: Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran with his sculpture Double-sided avatar with blue figure, 2021. Photo by Alex Chomicz.