Fragments of Service :
The Stories Within
Artwork dedicated to the stories of those who have served.
Help Us Make This Possible
This project is built by many hands.
With your support, we can create something that honours service not just in memory—but in voice, connection, and lived experience.
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Together, we can build something meaningful.
The Artist
Bek Herron
Bek Herron is an early-career artist based in Naarm (Melbourne). An Air Force veteran, she explores her perspectives as a woman, a mother, a carer, a health professional and the intersection and often harsh juxtaposition of these roles against the culture and requirements of military service. Bek’s work reflects her interest in how art deconstructs human experiences - becoming a way to document and share with others thoughts, feelings and emotions through different artistic mediums.
The Story
After a career spent supporting and caring for military personnel, Bek found herself overwhelmed by the stories she carried within. After finding support from the art community and ex-Service organisations, she sees this art work as an important part of supporting the military community to create, connect, communicate and share their stories.
For veteran voices to feel heard, held and honored.
Fragments of Service : The Stories Within is an art work being made in collaboration with veterans, ex-Service Organisations, the veteran art community and the institutions that support them.
In 2024, after three years and 5,889 submissions, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide released it’s final report. The artwork reflects on the unfinished business of the report’s recommendations, commends those brave enough to share their stories, and laments the absence of those who could not.
The Artwork
5,889 ceramic vessels, fired to 1000 degrees and then placed in a raku kiln in an experience of significant thermal shock - creating brilliant, dramatic and unique glazes reflecting the intense nature of military service and the individual stories that are the result of that service. These vessels will be made from Raku Paper Clay, a versatile and flexible clay which represents the strength of character and adaptable nature of military personnel that is a requirement of service. The clay, moulded by hand to create small vessels during a collaborative workshop with veterans, allows a sacred moment for the veteran to reflect on their service and stories, sharing if they feel inclined. Through this process not every pot survives intact, a nod to the individuality of the collective experience and the risks and sacrifice of serving in the Australian Defence Force.
