Ngawa-Water Painting

The tribes from which I derive from are Waanyi on my grandfathers side, the people south of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland. My paternal nannas parents were both Aboriginal. Garrwa on my great grandmothers side (Borroloola). Mudburra/Jingili and the Gurindji people from the Northern Territory Victoria River region, on my great grandfather’s side. These now well known tribes came to public attention from 1966 – 1975 over land rights in what has become known as the Wave Hill Walk Off. It became the first successful indigenous land rights claim. This extraordinary event cemented for me, the deep and immovable connection with the land. This was my representative and deep seated influencer. After being raised all my life by my amazing, independent mum, at the age of 16 I moved to Adelaide where my father still lived. I began to paint along side him, learning the stories he had been taught by his grandfather. His apprentice, his side kick, his technician, his daughter – my own ideas evolved. After I paid my dues in time by my dads side, I was officially an artist in my own right in 2007. Blending the traditional with the contemporary, just as he had done. My influences, experiences, history and culture combined to produce my painting style that was not only illustrative of ancient culture, but demonstrative of a contemporary hopefulness. Now in Aotearoa (New Zealand), as a mother of 5, homemaker, life-partner and community member, I feel, more than ever, the strongest connection between the past and future. The past gives us history, stability, stories, tradition and ancestral experience. While the future empowers us with hope, anticipation, change and the notion of belonging to something quintessentially human. The revitalisation of culture is at the core of everything I do. For me, it’s all about connecting the deep and inspiring influences of our historic culture, with the excitement and anticipation of a cohesive unified future. It’s about family, culture and strong traditional values. Educating our children with stories of our heritage and passing down the knowledge, so they can keep the home fires burning for generations to come.