Nicole Andrijevic began working in the ephemeral medium of sand and sugar in 2005 whilst completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. Intrigued by the Buddhist philosophy of mandalas, Andrijevic embarked on a journey of self-discovery and inner healing where she taught herself the technique of creating mandalas with sand and sugar by using cake decorating tools and coloured paint pigments.

A recurrent theme in Andrijevic’s work has been the exploration of the idea of ‘paradise’ and ‘utopia.’ This idea presented itself as far-away intangible lands in the utopian clouds of Buddhist paintings where ultimate bliss was promised, only if all attachment to worldly desire could be surrendered. Her work plays upon the dichotomy between a desire for genuine bliss and enlightenment, and the temptations of the material world which only provide momentary bliss.

In addition to coloured sand and sugar, Andrijevic’s work combines materials such as confectionery, plastic novelty objects, beads, glitter and pigments to tell stories of far-away utopian lands. These works are swept away at the end of the exhibition, reminding one that paradise is transient, fragile and remains beyond our reach.

For the 2007 Invitation Art Prize, Andrijevic created and photographed an on-site installation at the blend(er) gallery along Central Walk Joondalup inspired by ancient stories of the human race originally travelling from the stars to inhabit a far-away paradise they called Earth.

Winner of the 2007 Invitation Art Prize