A new Sydney sculpture has transformed our harbour
Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) has nailed it with Ancient Feelings by British sculptor Thomas J Price
If you’re placing a public sculpture around Sydney Cove - Warrane, you better get it right. This is sacred Sydney terrain. Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) has nailed it with Ancient Feelings by British sculptor Thomas J Price. But there’s a problem. Ancient Feelings is scheduled to leave the MCA in April.
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) sits on one of the most storied pieces of land in Sydney. Invasion and dispossession, the convict colony and the evolution of contemporary Australia, all start here - in The Rocks, overlooking the harbour and Sydney Opera House.
Like most NSW cultural institutions, the MCA has been struggling with financial challenges in recent years. An admission charge was introduced in 2025, making the MCA the only major gallery in Sydney to charge visitors to see its permanent collection.
The installation of Ancient Feelings by the MCA on the Tallawoladah lawn in late 2025, might be a game changer for a struggling institution. This is a spectacular and timely piece. In just a few months it feels like a Sydney destination.
Ancient Feelings is a 3-meter golden bronze bust of a black woman. Sculptor Thomas J Price says his work is an amalgam of facial scans and his own creations. She's quickly taken ownership of this special plot of Sydney real estate.
Price's work invites us to think about people unrepresented in public art and statues - in this case black women - or black people and women. It has a special resonance in these times of backsliding on tolerance, decency and respect.
The two African American tourists I chat with in the video (above) sought out Ancient Feelings after researching Sydney's public art pieces. They were visibly moved. Its magnetism is universal.
I lead history walks around Sydney so I’ve been able to see the spontaneous responses to Price's work from hundreds of international visitors in recent months. It’s unanimously viewed as a masterpiece, perfectly positioned against the Sydney sandstone of the MCA.
As the planned removal of Ancient Feelings in April approaches, I hope the MCA and Sydney can come together to make this piece permanent.
It’s a rare work of public sculpture that so perfectly takes ownership of a space aesthetically, while also speaking to the cultural moment with such authority. It's departure would be a loss to the MCA and the city.
Sydney needs to find a way to keep Ancient Feelings right where it is.
Ancient Feelings was made possible by a philanthropic donation from the Balnaves Foundation. You can check out our Sydney walks of history here.
