About the Artist Matty is from the North-West Kulin Nation of the Loddon Mallee regional area. Cultural and Aboriginal artistic traditions are the subject of Matty Chilly's artistry. He was born and raised on Muthi Muthi and Dadi Dadi Country. Matty grew up in a large family surrounded by family members who encouraged his talent, seeing his natural talent for the creative arts. Matty is a self-motivated, ambitious and proud multi-clan nations man, with ties to the Wiradjuri, Wemba Wemba, Muthi Muthi, Yorta Yorta, Barapa Barapa, Nari Nari, Yithi Yithi, Latji Latji, Dadi Dadi and Gubbi Gubbi People with ties to Vanuatu (South Sea Islands) and the Māori Iwis of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Matty developed an appetite, a desire and a dream for the arts when he was young and realised he could draw, paint, and create. Matty lives in his culture every day, through Art, weaving, smoking ceremonies, coiling, dancing, and producing Cultural regalia. He learnt how to work with natural fibres at a young age from his Aunties, and taught himself how to make Macrame wall hangings and dreamcatchers. Matty finds art in all things in the world around him and he finds ways to explore and use those things within his work whether it be through digital artwork, acrylic, natural fibres or sketching artworks. He connects to his Culture and Heritage to gather further knowledge from Elders to produce his unique pieces of art. Matty's photography and film production skills are excellent. In short, Matty lives and breathes his art. About the Artwork I am a Multi-Clans artist from the North-West Kulin Nations, now living and working in Boon-Wurrung and Wurrunjeri Country. My neckpiece depicts ancestorial cultural regalia - it tells the story of merging tradition and culture into a modern wearable piece. I do this by creating a neckpiece base with Emu feathers and White-Tailed Black Cockatoo feathers, then bringing Black kurrajong seed pods as the statement of the neckpiece. It's a celebration of our rich culture and heritage that can be worn, noticed and exudes pride. The neckpiece is made of Emu, and White-Tailed Black Cockatoo feathers, raffia and black kurrajong pods (Brachychiton populneus), from an evergreen tree of the Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae. These pods contain highly nutritious yellow seeds, which contain around 18% protein and 25% fat, and high levels of magnesium and zinc. To eat the seeds you first must remove toxic yellow hairs surrounding them. They can be eaten raw and roasted, and have a pleasantly nutty flavour. The young roots of this tree also make an excellent food source and can provide water.