About the Artist
Growing up on a farm in Gymbowen, West Wimmera, and born in Nhill, Victoria, I was fortunate to have a childhood indulged in rural life. However, it was our move to Mildura, Victoria, at the age of 10 that truly opened my eyes to the rich cultural heritage of the local Indigenous community.

Being welcomed into the community we immersed ourselves which allowed us to break free from the limitations of generational ignorance and misfortune my family endured in our previous cultural acceptance. Instead we developed a profound appreciation for our cultural roots while connecting our ancestry to the Yorta Yorta tribal area.

I now take great pride in my Yorta Yorta ancestry, which I am committed to learning, practicing, and sharing with others to ensure our culture remains strong for future generations.

My artistic pursuits have been diverse, with exhibitions at esteemed galleries such as Workspace 3496 Gallery, Mildura Art Centre Gallery, Dulka Yuppata my. Training Centre Gallery, and most notably, the Koorie Heritage Trust, Birrarung Building Gallery, where I was honored to receive the Creative Victorian Award for Excellence in any Media for my woven work, Goanna Outback 2023.

My passion for arts extends to many forms and techniques, from drawing, sculpture and painting, I have also explored large-scale public murals. Yet, it is in the realm of sculptural weaving that I have discovered my true calling. By combining traditional techniques with modern forms and materials, I have found a therapeutic outlet that has been instrumental in my personal healing journey.

Throughout my artistic endeavours, my family along with the community have been a constant source of inspiration and support. Their encouragement has helped me tap into my creative potential, allowing me to stay connected to our rich cultural heritage and continue to grow as an artist.

About the Artwork

Australia is renowned for its extraordinary variety of environmental landscapes, ranging from eucalypt bushlands, dense rainforests, and arid deserts to striking mountain ranges, rugged coastlines, tranquil lakes, mighty rivers, creeks, and natural waterholes.

Many people take pleasure in immersing themselves in the breathtaking scenery, experiencing the crisp mountain air, inhaling the fragrance of wildflowers wafting through the bush, or sensing the earthy musk of the rainforests and the gritty dust of the sandy deserts.

Such experiences inspire a profound sense of appreciation for our extraordinary country.

Those who have the opportunity to ascend high above the terrain experience a viewpoint similar to that of a wedge-tailed eagle and are fortunate enough to see these landscapes from a vantage point that highlights the vibrant colors and textures of the land's formation.

Traditionally, our culture embraces our belief in a creation period known as the Dreamtime. During this era, our ancestral creators traversed the land, shaping and crafting the environment to ensure a sustainable and harmonious existence between our people and the land.

Throughout this creation phase, our ancestors crafted stories and visual mappings of the land, serving as guides to help our people navigate the country.

This knowledge was passed on through songs, stories, and dance so that all future generations can learn to live sustainably and harmoniously with the land.

These paths and stories sung by our ancestors are referred to as songlines.

Songlines serve to spiritually and physically connect us to our land, outlining the paths taken by our ancestors and leading us to vital resources along our journeys. People also traveled these songlines in search of guidance from their ancestors, uncovering destinations within their own stories while learning the ancient traditional lore associated with the land and our culture.

While our culture is acknowledged as the oldest living culture on Earth, numerous traditional practices that once defined us have disappeared. This is why it is crucial to pass on the remaining knowledge of our Dreamtime, songlines, and the magnificent beauty of our land to all custodians to ensure that our culture continues to hold its place as the oldest living culture.

While it is important to transmit our cultural heritage to our younger generation, I believe it is also crucial to recognize that we are all custodians of the land we live on. Therefore, by educating and enlightening everyone on how our land once supported our people sustainably for millennia, we can and should follow the ancestral songlines that our Elders have passed on for many years.

The key to sustaining a future for our land lies in collaboration and acknowledgment. Working together, Land In Hand!

We are all custodians of this land.

My work, Land In Hand, is a mixed media piece of acrylic painting representing Indigenous designs in community and connection, along with photographs capturing Australian landscapes from a topographical perspective. Each photo is crafted into a pair of hands, symbolizing reconnection with the land and each other.

Please visit this link to listen to the song accompanying this artwork.