Sculptors see the fruit of their labour as oranges become art

Citrus sculptures showcase business, community at Griffith's spring festival In short: Griffith's annual citrus sculpture event is attracting thousands of visitors to the NSW town. The event features more than 60 sculptures, some of which highlight different cultures within the community. What's next? The event will run until October 24. Sculptures are often crafted from stone and wood but in the southern NSW town of Griffith budding artists are turning to local produce. Residents are painstakingly crafting art using wire frames, UV elastic bands and fresh fruit for Citrus Sculptures, part of the town's annual spring festival. More than 100,000 oranges and grapefruits were provided by local growers for the 60 carefully constructed sculptures on display in the Griffith CBD. About 30 per cent of Australia's citrus is grown in the region, and standards are high. "We don't want all the ugly fruit on these sculptures," Griffith and District Citrus Growers Association vice-chair Vito Mancini said. "We want to make sure we have the best on there." Waxed, stacked and juiced The fruit is washed and waxed before it is used to ensure maximum shine. "That wax product actually helps retain the moisture in the fruit, so without it, the fruit would go wrinkly in a matter of days being in the hot sun," Mr Mancini said. And he should know — he is one of 10 people who worked on the postmodern piece that is an orange made of oranges. "It's like trying to stack a puzzle together," Mr Mancini said. "It does take some time, but it becomes a bit of a masterpiece once it's finished." At the end of the 14-day event the fruit used in the sculptures will be taken away and made into juice. Celebrating multiculturalism The sculptures also shine a light on the Griffith's multicultural community. Jone Laweloa has built a Fijian house out of oranges to honour his heritage. It took him a week to build the frame and about three hours to attach the oranges. "This is sort of the house we would build in the villages [in Fiji]," he said. "So I like to bring that concept back to Griffith." Mr Laweloa has lived in the community for 30 years and has participated in the sculpture event for the 26 years. "We want to show our identity to the rest of the community here," he said. Griffith City Council tourism manager Mirella Guidolin said there were more than 60 nationalities in the community. "We have rich cultural traditions because of those many cultures that we have in Griffith," she said. "[The festival] is a celebration of everything Griffith is about, creativity, agriculture, multiculturalism, hospitality and just the community spirit."