Western Australia–based sculptor Abdul-Rahman Abdullah is turning introduced feral animals into mummy-like sculptures in his Perth studio, a project that began to take shape in the early months of 2026. The work draws on a university museum collection of animal mummies for shape and texture, inviting audiences to rethink how Australia’s ecosystems and the people who inhabit them intersect with the animal world.
Abdullah’s approach sits at the intersection of ecological inquiry and material experimentation, using forms that recall ceremonial artefacts while addressing the legacies of species introductions and landscape change across the continent. The project is still coming together in public view, and details about how and where the works will be shown have not been formally released yet. What is clear is that the pieces are meant to provoke discussion about human–animal relationships, memory, and the ways culture can reinterpret a controversial chapter of Australia’s environmental history.
In a country where feral species have long shaped both conservation policy and public imagination, Abdullah’s mummy sculptures offer a tactile, theatre-like lens on the issue. By drawing on the museum’s mummy specimens, the artist seeks to translate the quiet, preserved moment of a mummy into a contemporary conversation about invasion biology, responsible stewardship, and the boundaries of art as social commentary. The works are likely to be displayed in a manner that highlights texture, patination, and form, encouraging viewers to move around the pieces and engage with them from multiple angles.
The project also sits against a backdrop of WA’s vibrant contemporary art scene, where artists frequently blend critical discourse with hands-on making. Abdullah has spoken in general terms about the intention to create a body of work that is as much about process as about the finished object, inviting collaboration with curators, communities, and scientists who study Australia’s evolving ecological web. While the exact timeline remains under wraps, the ambition appears to be to produce a suite of pieces that can travel to regional and metropolitan venues, prompting conversations beyond galleries and into public spaces.
Beyond aesthetics, the works are expected to engage with broader questions about memory and belonging in a landscape that has been altered by human activity. The mummy motif, familiar from archaeological and museum contexts, is repurposed here to make visible the often unseen consequences of species introductions and habitat disruption. Abdullah’s materials, techniques, and forms will likely be read through a lens of care, risk, and responsibility, underscoring that art can be a platform for reflection on environmental change without shrinking from difficult topics.
What we know
- Abdullah is creating sculptural works that reimagine Australia’s introduced feral species as mummy-inspired forms.
- The designs are informed by an animal mummy collection held by a university museum, guiding texture and silhouette.
- The project is part of Western Australia’s broader contemporary art scene and is conceived as a series or body of work.
- No official dates or venues for exhibitions have been announced yet.
- The works are positioned to explore ecological, cultural, and memory-related themes within a contemporary art framework.
As the project unfolds, observers will be watching how Abdullah translates scientific and environmental concerns into tactile sculpture, and whether the pieces travel beyond Perth and broader WA audiences. In the meantime, the work adds another layer to discussions about how art engages with the uncomfortable histories of animal introductions and human impact on the Australian landscape.
What we don’t know
- Exact materials and sculpting techniques Abdullah plans to use beyond initial descriptions.
- Which specific feral species will be featured in the early works.
- Precise exhibition dates, venues, and potential touring plans.
- How audiences, communities, and conservation groups will respond to the project.
- Whether the works will be displayed in collaboration with scientific partners or museums beyond the WA context.
The story of these mummy-inspired sculptures is still taking shape, and the coming months are expected to reveal how Abdullah’s material language and conceptual concerns converge. If realised as envisioned, the project could become a notable example of how contemporary Australian art interrogates ecological disruption through a tactile, culturally resonant lens.
