About Us
Our Heritage
Three Generations of Craftsmanship, Creativity & Storytelling
For three generations, the Valerius family has believed that the story comes first.
We are storytellers at heart. The story determines the art—the art does not determine the story.
We don't begin by making a form simply for the sake of making a form. We begin by understanding the story: the people, the place, the history, the memories and the meaning behind it. From that understanding, the artwork takes shape.
The story gives the form life.
You can see it in the movement of a sculpture, the expression, the details and the emotion within the work. It is what allows an artwork to engage people and invite them to stop, connect and discover the story for themselves.
Every Story Is Different
The stories we work with can take many forms.
Sometimes they come from history, heritage or real people and their experiences. Sometimes they are personal stories shared by a family, community or organisation. And sometimes, the story is one we create ourselves to express an idea, a feeling or a moment.
For example, in the George Bennett Perpetual Trophy for the National Agricultural Show, the story is captured through movement and relationship, the steer resisting and resting its weight, while the young boy works to hold him. You can feel the effort, determination and connection between them.
The sculpture doesn't simply show the subjects. It tells the story through the way they move and interact.
This is what we mean when we say the story determines the art. We first understand what needs to be communicated, and then find the form, movement, materials and details that bring that story to life.
From the Smallest Detail to the Largest Sculpture
Our work ranges from small, highly detailed trophies and individual commissions to large-scale public sculptures and monuments.
Whatever the size, our approach remains the same. We believe the smallest work deserves the same care, thought and attention to detail as the largest.
From a trophy held in someone's hands to a monumental sculpture such as Bill the Bastard, every work begins with understanding what the piece needs to say and feel.
Connected to Our Communities
Being part of the community has always been important to our family and our studio.
We believe art should not only be something people purchase or look at. It can be something that belongs to a community, tells its story and brings people together.
Over the years, we have supported our local communities through donated artwork, in-kind contributions, volunteering and community involvement. We have provided artwork to Harden-Murrumburrah and contributed our time and skills to community initiatives. We are also proud to be involved with Rotary and to support the communities in which we live and work.
For us, giving back is simply part of being a community-minded studio.
Restoration With Understanding
This same philosophy is at the heart of our restoration work.
From significant places and architectural features to sculptures, monuments, objects and treasured works, we approach each restoration by first understanding its story, history and significance.
Restoration is not simply about repairing what is damaged. It is about understanding what makes something important and preserving its character, meaning and connection to the people and communities around it.
We believe art has the power to bring people together, move them, create conversation, preserve memories and help communities heal.
That has always been at the heart of the studio.
A Family Legacy
This philosophy began with Claude Valerius, continued through Carl Valerius, and now moves into the third generation with Kim May.
Each generation has brought its own skills, ideas and creative voice, while sharing the same belief that craftsmanship is about more than making something beautiful. It is about creating something with meaning.
Today, Val May Studio brings together Carl's lifetime of traditional craftsmanship and Kim's contemporary creative vision. Carls and Kims passion for storytelling, ogether, they carry forward a family legacy built on understanding stories and giving those stories form.
The next chapter may bring new materials, new ideas and new ways of creating, but the foundation remains unchanged:
We don't create a form and find a story for it.
We understand the story, and then we give it form.
Three generations. One creative legacy.
Stories given form.
Carl Valerius
Master Stonemason | Master Sculptor | Artist | Qualified Cabinet Maker | Wood Turner | Heritage Restoration Specialist
Carl Valerius is an Australian master craftsman, sculptor and artist whose life’s work has been dedicated to creating works that preserve stories, honour history and connect with people.
Carl’s journey began at an early age working alongside his father, Claude Valerius, learning the traditional skills of stonemasonry, stone carving and construction. As his career developed, Carl continued working alongside Claude on significant projects, building on his father’s knowledge and traditional craftsmanship while developing his own artistic vision.
In 1980, Carl founded Valerius Art Australia, establishing a studio built on traditional craftsmanship, creativity and a deep respect for quality workmanship. Over the following decades, he developed a respected reputation for creating public monuments, memorials, heritage works, commissioned sculptures and landscape works throughout Australia.
Much of Carl’s life’s work has been dedicated to public art, heritage restoration and projects that connect communities with their history and culture. His work has contributed to places that people visit, gather around and remember, helping bring stories to life through sculpture, stonework and restoration. Through his public and heritage projects, Carl has helped preserve Australia’s cultural history while creating works that continue to contribute to community connection and cultural tourism.
Carl’s skills extend well beyond stone and sculpture. He is a qualified cabinet maker and skilled wood turner, with extensive experience working across stone, bronze, timber, sculpture, heritage restoration and landscape construction. This broad knowledge of materials and traditional techniques has shaped the precision, strength and character of his work.
Carl’s craftsmanship has also taken him beyond Australia. His work on the Chinese Friendship Garden at Darling Harbour, Sydney, became an important part of his career and his connection with traditional Chinese stonework and garden craftsmanship. Following this work, Carl was honoured as a guest of the Chinese Government in China, an experience that further enriched his appreciation of traditional craftsmanship and cultural design.
For Carl, every artwork begins with a story, an idea, a memory, a person, a place or a moment in history. His work is created to make people pause, look closer and connect with the story behind it.
One of Carl’s best-known works is Bill the Bastard, the life-size bronze sculpture commemorating the extraordinary Australian war horse and the heroic rescue of four Tasmanian soldiers during the Battle of Romani in the First World War. Carl brought this remarkable story to life through his sculpture, creating a powerful and enduring tribute to the horse and the men whose lives he helped save.
Carl’s contribution to heritage and public art has been recognised through two First Place Heritage Awards, including recognition for a permanent artwork displayed at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
His knowledge and experience have also been shared with the next generation of designers and craftspeople. Carl was invited as a guest lecturer at the University of New South Wales, teaching second-year students in landscape architecture about landscape construction, stonework and traditional craftsmanship.
Beyond his technical ability, Carl is a natural storyteller who genuinely enjoys connecting with people. His work often contains character, emotion, humour and layers of detail that reveal themselves over time. He believes great art should do more than decorate a space, it should start conversations, preserve memories and leave a lasting impression.
Known for his warmth, humility and sense of humour, Carl continues to create and share the knowledge gained throughout his lifetime. At 83, his passion for craftsmanship remains as strong as ever.
Today, Carl brings this extraordinary depth of experience to Val May Studio, continuing to create meaningful works and share the knowledge, skills and creative vision developed throughout his remarkable career.
A lifetime of craftsmanship. A legacy of storytelling. Art created to stand the test of time.
Kim May
Creative Director | Artist | Sculptor
For Kim May, art begins with connection. Whether creating a private commission, a community sculpture, a personal artwork or a major public artwork, she believes every piece should make people feel something, whether that is joy, nostalgia, curiosity, reflection or simply a reason to pause and smile.
Kim has created art throughout her life and works across a range of mediums, including sculpture, painting and mixed creative forms. Some works are created for clients, while others begin simply from her own ideas and become part of her personal collection.
As Creative Director, Artist and Sculptor of Val May Studio, Kim brings her creative practice together with more than 20 years of business experience, working across both the artistic and business sides of the studio.
When working with a client, Kim takes the time to understand their story, ideas and vision, bringing them into the creative journey rather than simply presenting a finished result. She enjoys finding the details, memories and emotions that can turn an idea into something personal and meaningful.
Her work spans private commissions, public art, community projects and heritage work, working with individuals, families, councils, RSLs and community organisations. Whether a work is deeply personal, created for her own collection or designed to become part of a community, Kim approaches each piece with the same belief: art should tell a story, invite conversation and create a genuine connection.
For Kim, the most memorable art is not simply something you look at. It is something you experience, feel and remember.
