Fragments of a Collective Identity

Tanks Art Centre, Cairns, 2021

In May and June 2021 I visited Cairns. I had the opportunity to get to know the people and the things which hold meaning for them. From my temporary studio/gallery in Tank 4, I gathered and painted on a large, continuous roll of canvas, photos, objects and stories, brought to me by local residents. As my work progressed, a collective portrait of the community built until, in the end, it was displayed for one weekend – during which viewers cut out of the canvas the paintings which they waned to keep

Acknowledgement of Country

I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the place I call home from whom sovereignty has never been ceded. In particular I recognise Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nations as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country on which I work and live. I recognise their long standing and continuing connection to Country, waters and community and pay my respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that I have lived my much of my life in ignorance of the rich culture and diversity of the peoples of the First Nations. While I continue to be ignorant of much of the great knowledge, understanding and spirituality of Indigenous peoples, I hope, with respect, to continue to learn and I give thanks for their willingness to help me learn. I wish also to acknowledge the great trauma and pain suffered by Indigenous peoples through the invasion of their lands and that my family and I have benefited as a result of this brutality. I humbly offer my personal apology and I hope that together and with mutual respect we can acknowledge and address the trauma brought on by colonisation and build a better future.