Neon sculptures by Carla O'Brien lights up Warrnambool for the Christmas season

Warrnambool City Council has added the custom-made sculptures to its permanent collection of Christmas decorations.

Ms O'Brien said she was thrilled to be part of the city's festive season after working with the council on the popular 'Solstice Searching' event in June.

"It was such a positive experience with the neon trail that we had over wintertime, so it was fantastic to come back and bring a different side of Christmas, something that's completely unique," she said.

"These are original pieces and Warrnambool is the first in the world to get them.

"I hope a lot of people come into the city, have a wander around and see everything."

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Normally involved with a number of summer festivals, Ms O'Brien pivoted her work to a festive theme and completed the neon sculptures in a few weeks with the help of some elves.

The 16 neon sculptures depict various Christmas scenes from Santa underneath the mistletoe and reindeer to a gingerbread man with a house.

Ms O'Brien said the artworks injected fun and excitement into the city while providing a COVID-safe activity for families.

"What's so great about them is that you can take an amazing photo but you don't have to touch them," she said.

"I'm motivated primarily by people enjoying my work and I get such a kick out of seeing people take photos with my work.

"This year people can't really take photos on Santa's lap, but this was they can take a photo with one of the neon scenes and discover some fun things to do around the city."

Warrnambool City Council events manager Lauren Edney said the inclusion of neon sculptures had proven popular with residents and visitors.

"We're really excited to have Carla back because Solstice Searching was such a big hit in June when everyone was looking for something to do," Ms Edney said.

"The beauty for us is they are portable and they can be used with batteries as well. So we can move them around town in the future and really customise the look.

"It's nice to do something like this that brings a bit of joy, especially after such a non-joyous year. We're really excited to be able to put this on so everyone can get out and about and enjoy it."

The neon sculptures can be found in and around Liebig Street with two installations at Cannon Hill.

They were unveiled as part of 'A Very Different Christmas' over the weekend and will remain in place until after Christmas.

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