Published in Overland Issue 232 Spring 2018 · Uncategorized Guest artist for Overland 232: Bella Li Bella Li Artist’s statement In the introduction to The Age of Collage, Silke Krohn writes: collage ‘is, above all, collecting, searching, or perhaps only finding’. The images in this issue of Overland are made from books and magazines about gardening, astronomy, crochet, the United States at the turn of the last century, Mexico, rockets, the history of photography in New Zealand, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They were found in second-hand bookstores in Tokyo, Dunedin and Melbourne; on shelves, in crates, and wedged into perilous stacks. At home they are collected together with other books, many of which I searched for, too – also unknowingly. Each is a reminder of the frailty and perseverance of objects; that everything ages, goes in and out of style, is composed and recomposed, and recomposed again. That nothing lasts. That everything lasts, one way or another. It has been a privilege to contribute work to this issue, to respond to these four pieces of nonfiction and fiction. While reading and rereading them I had thoughts, in no particular order, of: water, cities, frames; motion, stillness, time travel; bodies, binaries, metamorphoses; death, roses and decay. – Bella Li Cover Artwork for essay ‘The bird you are holding’ Artwork for short story ‘How to disappear into yourself (in 8 steps)’ Artwork for short story ‘Dear Ophelia’ Artwork for short story ‘Nothing in the night’ Back cover Permission note: The base image for the collages for ‘The bird you are holding’ and the back cover is by Héctor García, courtesy of Fundación María and Héctor García. Read the rest of Overland 232 If you liked these artworks, buy the issue Or subscribe and receive four outstanding issues for a year Bella Li Bella Li is the author of Argosy (Vagabond Press, 2017) – a book of poetry, collage and photography – which won the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry and the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry. Her latest collection is Lost Lake (Vagabond Press, 2018), which has been shortlisted for the 2018 Queensland Literary Award for Poetry. More by Bella Li › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 8 May 202611 May 2026 · Nakata Brophy Prize The 2026 Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers (Poetry) Editorial Team Please follow this link to enter the prize. Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, established in 2014 […] 7 May 20267 May 2026 · Gaming Weaponised play: are loot boxes pokies for kids? Tom Gurn In the last decade, chance mechanics have been increasingly exploited by the video game industry to attract players, including very young ones. And while the federal government is clearly aware of the risks, it really isn’t clear what the right step forward is.
