Macquarie Shopping Centre NAIDOC Week Artwork

I was very honoured that my artwork, ‘Flames of the Dreamtime: Burning for Generations’, was chosen to be displayed at Macquarie Centre during NAIDOC Week 2024. This piece embodied the theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud, and Proud’, highlighting the ever-increasing importance of connection and unity between First Nations people and the wider community.

Artwork Description: At the heart of this artwork is the Wallumattagal Peoples’ totem, the Black Snapper Fish. The central stars represent the First Nations people and Elders who have passed and entered into the Dreamtime. These figures were integral to keeping the fire of our culture burning and passing it down through generations. The stars also symbolise the importance of the next generation in continuing the journey of our ancestors and maintaining this cultural flame.

The pathways illustrated in the piece connect the Totem to various campfires, representing the unity between the Macquarie Community and the wider community, all bound together by the fire that symbolises our cultural connection.

The blue waterways flowing through the artwork symbolise the Parramatta River, ensuring that all campfires and meeting places remain connected. Additionally, the presence of an Eel from the Parramatta River underscores the connection between the Wallumattagal people and the Burramattagal people.

This artwork holds personal significance for me as I have spent most of my life on Wallumettagal Country. My connection to this land has deepened since laying my sister to rest here.

This artwork is acrylic on stretched canvas and the dimensions are 36”x24”.