About the Artist
Tarn was born and nurtured on Wiradjuri Country in Wagga Wagga. She currently lives and creates on Yorta Yorta Country with her two children. In 2014, Tarn joined Kaiela Arts and was taken under the wing of Gamilaraay artist Uncle Eric Brown.

A self-taught contemporary artist, Tarn enjoys painting, drawing and printmaking. Her artistry extends to larger canvases as well, with her hand bringing vibrant murals to life. Notable among these is a remarkable 12.5-meter “brain scan” mural, a kaleidoscope of colour and concept, which drew the attention of the ABC in a mini-documentary in 2021.

For Tarn, art has always been a vessel for expressing her ties to Country and family. Her pieces often carry heavy celestial vibes, undertones of feminism, politics, and tradition.

Tarn has collaborated with screen printing studio Spacecraft since 2018 where her designs made their way onto fabric for Design Roots 2. The momentum continued with Design Roots 3 – “Identity” in 2019, a selection that propelled her work to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and the Country to Couture Fashion Show. Her designs were featured in the NGV and Vogue Australia online.

Tarn also worked closely with other Kaiela artists to create “Yalka Lotjpa Nha”, a children’s Yorta Yorta language book.

About the Artwork
On land of blood red sands and ancient lore,
Echoes linger of an ancient yore.
Questioned: my heritage, doubts arise,
A light skinned Indigenous, navigating ties.

Children torn from loving arms, stolen away,
Their laughter silenced; their spirits dismayed.
Taken from Mothers, Fathers and Kin,
In the name of a misguided, cruel sin.

Through shadowed valleys and whispering trees,
Wandering lost with shattered dreams.
Stripped of identity, culture denied,
Language forbidden and souls defied.

Yet within me, their blood flows strong,
A legacy endured, amidst the wrong.
In each heartbeat, their stories thrive,
Resilience, courage, against the strive.

With every step, I reclaim our past,
Despite the doubts, the questions cast.
I am the children you stole.
I am the water you poisoned.
My voice echoes, my spirit emboldened.