September 7, 2023 by Artist Lane

Q. Can you share some insights into your background
and cultural heritage?
A. I am a Palawa/Pakana woman with connections to
the Northwest Coast of Tasmania. My people have a
deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land and
its natural resources. Everything was done in harmony
with the environment, including hunting, gathering and fishing.The Palawa culture includes rich traditions of
art, storytelling and oral history. The art often featured landscapes and at times intricate patterns and designs,
as well as storytelling as a way of passing down cultural
knowledge through generations.

Q. How has your ancestral connection to the Northwest coast of Tasmania influenced your artistic style and the themes you explore in your art?
A. My connection to ancestors has inspired many aspects
in my works. The style I’ve adapted and continue to explore is contemporary with traditional symbols, motifs and art forms added in to create stories and more meaningful pieces people can connect with. I have found

this is a way to bridge the gap between past and present and celebrate my heritage and life’s challenges through
visual expression.

Q. Could you share a bit about the iconography in your artwork and their significance?
A. I use a number of different symbols throughout, but
a lot of my story work involves the symbols for people, meeting places, footprints/animal tracks, stars/ancestors. These are significant to my artwork as a lot of pieces represent a journey or a life experience.

Q. Can you share a bit about the techniques and
mediums you prefer to work with in your art?
A. I like to explore different styles, techniques and mediums. I just love being creative in any way possible.
I predominantly use acrylic paint but have created pieces with a mixture of acrylic, structure, alcohol ink as well as textured mediums. I also create digital designs and have worked with many companies to create designs for RAPs and collaborations.

Q. Can you tell us more about your journey from
being a secondary school teacher to becoming a contemporary Aboriginal artist? 
A. My career change happened mostly as a way of
healing. I started to paint a lot more after the loss of
our first baby, Briar who passed away shortly after
she took her first breath.

It kind of just happened and the more I did it, the more
I realised it was still a way of teaching. People were learning so much about my culture through the artworks.
I try to use art as a means of educating others now about our culture, history and life challenges. Every piece shares
a story and a little bit of culture is embedded into the creation in symbol form. When people read and connect
to the art they are connecting and learning about
our culture.

Q. Are there particular themes that you find yourself drawn to explore and educate others about?
A. I try to educate people about our culture in every single piece of art I create. I mainly share personal experiences such as my journey of starting our family..from losing or first born to having a baby, losing another through miscarriage. I create pieces that tell stories of triumphs and losses. Things that happen in life. Things that resonate with others. People love when they can relate, when they don’t feel alone in challenges they are facing. These artworks celebrate memories and experiences that have got them to where they are today.

Q. Your art is described as a blend of contemporary
with some traditional elements. Explain?
A. My style is very contemporary and tends to involve nature or some type of landscape. It always encapsulates my culture through the use of symbolism and storytelling although not usually dreamtime but more personal experiences. The symbols and the way they are used
to tell the story is the traditional aspect of my work. 

Q. Could you share a specific artwork that holds a particularly personal meaning to you? What is the symbolism behind it?
A. The most meaningful piece I created was in memory
of Briar (our daughter). It is called ‘Passing  Through’.
It shares a story that we are all just visitors here to Earth and that we are to learn and grow and love or sometimes just observe and then we return home. We are just passing through. The symbolism in it shows the sun shining down and people coming from the rays to the earth with ups and downs for us to learn from. 

Q. What message or emotions do you hope viewers take away from your artwork? 
A. A lot of my art is created as a way of healing. I hope through my art and stories to help others heal. I want people to connect to the story of the artwork emotionally through their own life journeys and experiences. I think if people can connect to a piece but also learn about our culture through understanding a story and symbol then the oldest living culture will continue to live on.