Jacob Nash

Australian designer Jacob Nash is a descendant of the Daly River people, and has spent the last 20 years living, working and creating in Sydney on Eora country. 

In 2021, Nash worked with UAP’s Australian team to deliver ‘Country’, a permanent functional sculptural feature for The Harrington Collection in Sydney. Made using honed concrete and smooth sandstone, Nash was driven to create this work as a response to the effects the built environment has upon the land, reminding people that they are always on Country, despite the altering of the landscape. 

Using found oyster shells and reclaimed demolition materials, the artist and team composed the pieces into a flowing composition across the underside of the structure. Making reference to geological landforms and the substrata that remain uncovered and hidden beneath the surface, Nash sought to expose this and indicate the deep time that exists in country. 

The organic shape of the oyster shells and long flowing pattern play against the refined lines that they exist within, reminding us that country is not defined by what we see on the surface, but by the many stories and lives that have and will always exist there.

The Harrington Collection in Sydney was designed by fjmt.