Nell, Holding Both, 2026

Nell’s Loti Smorgon Sculpture Terrace Commission honours the power and presence of women. 'Women are often expected to balance competing demands, both from ourselves and society. Somehow, we manage to carry the proverbial weight of the world with poise and grace.' – Nell Australian artist Nell has been making sculptures of women for nearly two decades. With her utilitarian stick and suspended glass ghosts, this life-size, bronze representation of an archetypal woman speaks to the physical and mental ability of women to hold two things in balance. Embodying the form and purpose of a set of scales, Holding Both contains references as varied as the Buddhist practice of presence, art historical depictions of women and everyday carrying tools. Based in Sydney, Nell (b. 1975, Maitland, New South Wales) is known for her fusion of pop culture, rock’n’roll aesthetics and Buddhist practice. She has a long history with the MCA, first exhibiting in Primavera: Young Australian Artists in 1999. Nell’s spectacular, large-scale wall installation Unlimited Radiance (2001) is just one of the works by the artist in the MCA Collection. Learn more