Hello

My Story

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I am a descendent of the Bidjara tribe from the Carnarvon Gorge region in South West Queensland.  My family lineage can be traced back 5 generations. My siblings and I were removed and placed in state care thus becoming victims of the stolen generation.

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Art, craft and music have been an intergrel part of my life since I was very young especially during my darkest times. I took up painting in 1994, starting off dabbling in folk art until I learned of my origins and heritage. This was the beginning of my journey of self-discovery. After doing a lot of research on our culture, I discovered that our family cultural traditions and practices had not been practiced or passed on as they were forbidden or broken due to being removed from family.

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Stencil artworks and engravings are the dominant forms of artwork portrayed throughout the Carnarvon Gorge region however other forms were also used such as cross hatching, engraving and pitting dot art styles. My sister and I have put together our own family symbols which I regularly use in my artwork.

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Art has become a source of therapy for my mental health as I struggle with PTSD caused from childhood trauma and abuse. My styles, which include contemporary aboriginal art, realism and branching into abstract realism in mixed media, reflect my interests in natural landscapes, native flora and fauna and my spiritual cultural connections to the land and ancestry.