Sculptor Lis Johnson selected to create Susan Ryan statue for Canberra

Johnson's statues of Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons, the first women to be elected to federal parliament, were unveiled in March. The statues were the first of women in Canberra's parliamentary zone.

Johnson, who is based in Victoria, was selected for the ACT government's Ryan commission after a two-stage open public tender process.

Ryan was elected as the ACT's first Labor senator in December 1975, having campaigned with the slogan "a woman's place is in the Senate". She had been a foundation member of the Women's Electoral Lobby in 1972.

Ryan, who left the Senate in 1988, was also the first age discrimination commissioner, serving between 2011 and 2016. Ryan died in September 2020, aged 77.

Johnson agreed it was exciting to be part of efforts to commemorate more women in statues.

"Look, I've been advocating. I'm in a difficult position in that I don't commission the work," Johnson said.

"I'm not in the meeting room when people decide to have a statue made or who it's going to be of. But, you know, in my life and talking to different people, I've always advocated for there to be more statues of women."

Johnson said she worked from a life model similar in height and weight to her subject, and sculpt in clay. A mould would be created from the clay sculpture and then the statue cast in bronze.

"I've been doing it for over 30 years now and every subject is different, you know, you meet all sorts of different people. You travel. It's a really great job," she said.

Arts Minister Tara Cheyne said Johnson's artistic approach was exceptional.

"She focuses on capturing the unique personality and accurate physical presence of her subject and is able to convey movement, character and the spirit of the subject through her work," Ms Cheyne said.

"She is also able to create a wonderful sense of relationship between the public and the sculpture, distinguishing her work from the monumental style of bronze sculptures of the past which tended to place the subject as more remote from the viewer."

Ms Cheyne in August announced Ryan would be commemorated with a statue.

Justine Butler, Ryan's daughter, said at the time her mother would have been honoured and absolutely loved being selected as a subject for public commemoration.

"Apart from anything else, she had earlier in her political career a great interest and commitment to the arts and cultural life. She was at one stage a shadow minister for the arts, and I can remember being dragged around all sorts of events accordingly. She really believed in the importance of public art and cultural life," Ms Butler said.

Ms Butler said it was important public memorials reflected a diverse community and showed everyone they could have a place in public life.

"What we hope is that particularly slightly younger people, very young people, walk past and go, 'Who's that? Why is this statue of her there? What did she do?' And maybe hop on Google and have a look," she said.

"That happened a lot around the time that Mum died. There were young people going, 'Oh my goodness.' Younger people contacted me and said, 'I didn't realise all she'd done; I didn't realise so much had happened and there's still more to do.' I think that's what we hope for."

A location for the artwork is still to be determined with the government, Ryan's family and the National Capital Authority still working on a suitable spot.

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