Portfolio
Please enjoy a selection of my artwork. I welcome you to gain an insight into the meaning and significance of my work.
Evolving Gorget
Evolving Gorget is a series of pieces representing my Country and Wambuul, also known as the Macquarie River. Their shape and style are derived from gorgets, breastplates and King and Queen plates. They have been made with natural and manmade materials, using cultural and contemporary techniques. These are memories of time spent on Wambuul through childhood – rain, water, and sunshine.
Aboriginal breastplates originate from the gorget. It was a piece of cloth worth by French women during the medieval period which evolved into armour. 200 years later it became decorative military regalia. In Australia it was modified again by colonizers and given to First Nations People as a way of recognition and reward. Today Aboriginal breastplates continue to be divisive.
Images courtsey of Fred Kroh.
9th Koorie Artshow 2021
The Koorie Art Show is an annual event showcasing the diverse talent of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in one inclusive space. It is an open-entry, non-acquisitive award exhibition, presenting the works of Koorie and Victorian-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Images courtesy of Christian Capurro.
Midsumma & Australia Post Art Award
Since its inauguration in 2016 the Midsumma and Australia Post Art Award has quickly established itself as an important award in the ecology of the arts. With finalists selected from across the country, the non-acquisitive annual award is a survey of outstanding queer artists working across mediums reflecting their potent personal and political perspectives on the world.
Brothaboy Sistagirl reflects on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and identity. Brothaboy/Brotherboy/Brotha/Bro and Sistagirl/Sistergirl/Sis are all used interchangeably within our communities regardless of whether the individual identifies as LGBTQIA+. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples also refer to themselves as being of two spirits (masculine and feminine).
Taking inspiration from the shape of a breast plate or King and Queen plate and metals used in the past I have combined these with natural cord and emu feathers, pushing the plate through its next cultural evolution, emerging with a new identity.
