Srivilasa undertook this project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Wellness Deity Project speaks to Srivilasa’s interest and skill in creating collaborative and community-driven projects and his response to the challenging experience of pandemic lockdown in Melbourne during 2020 – 2021.

The project invited people to reflect on the pandemic by asking them to imagine and draw a deity character; a being that has a protective super-power to do battle with the effect of Covid-19, to literally make people well!

Srivilasa selected nineteen of these drawings as inspiration for his ceramic sculptures. The artist ensured each deity sculpture had its own unique characteristics based on the personal stories submitted. Each sculpture was accompanied by a piece of creative writing commissioned by the artist from his artist community.

“The Wellness Deity project is a record of people's emotions during this unprecedented situation.” - Vipoo Srivilasa, 2021

This project was assisted by the Australian Government through
the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.