South African artist Karlien van Rooyen previously lived in South Australia. Her work is ultimately inspired by her deep connection to the environment, sustainability and respect for First Nations people. She completed a degree in contemporary art at the University of South Australia after six years of environmental activism in North Western Australia. Her work is focused on creating an understanding of contemporary spirituality in the context of environmental and cultural protection. Karlien is driven interrelationship between maker and material along with teaching, 'Seeing through Feeling' by the Goolarabooloo people of Kimberley. Karlien's sculptures are concerned with perspectives on social and environmental sustainability. Utilizing the visceral and time-capturing qualities of clay and memory, Karlien creates stylised 'termite-mound' vessels. Karlien has been the recipient of the Minter Ellison award for Female Artist with outstanding creative potential for the Carcle Winter National Project Grant and was selected for a seven week ceramic residency in 2018 in Jingdezhen, China. She works from her studio in Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa.