My practice broadly, is an acknowledgment and declaration of Aboriginal Sovereignty and Connection to Country. Our relationship to this continent is something profound and immeasurable. We are a part of the landscape and the landscape is a part of us.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have looked after every plant, insect and animal on their traditional lands since time immemorial. Compared to the length of time that Aboriginal Australia has cared for and lived with this landscape, the paint is still wet on European Occupation of this land, and this is expressed with the use of drips in my work.

At a time where the climate and landscape are in turmoil, it is timely to remember this and look to Aboriginal Custodians as to how best to care for Country. The Circular motifs in my work represent our communities, families and unique kinship systems that exist within, between and across Language Groups, Clan Groups, Skin Groups and families. The palette responds to the natural environment of Central Australia, invoking images of red sand, straw-coloured spinifex, dry earth, distant hills and purple dusks fading into inky blackness. The purple also reflects the unique place that smoke has in cleansing our spirits, while the red speaks to the use of fire in storytelling, the sharing of culture and also as a traditional means of looking after Country.

The fine line-work in this body of work brings a sense of movement and energy; a visual expression of the song lines and creation stories; the energy that lives and breathes within the landscape. The use of media such as sand, gold and copper-leaf, speak to the immense wealth of the landscape of the Australian continent, and the difference in perspective between Aboriginal Australia and White Australia to the question: ‘what is wealth?’ do we value what we can exploit through the systematic raping and pillaging of the land; or do we value the ancient landscape and the stories it holds?

Elizabeth Yanyi Close

Shane first found a connection to his Aboriginality by drawing with his mother in hospital as he recovered from third degree burns. This interest led him to develop his work as a graffiti artist, using aerosols to explore tagging and lettering. As he continued to develop his style, he used what he learnt through graffiti to incorporate traditional designs in his work, exploring his Cultural identity and his growing connection to his Aboriginal heritage. When he later started his tattooing practice, these marks became more refined, creating designs that would adapt to the body as it changes over time. Shane continues to move between these three forms as he develops his own unique mark making style.

The works in A Close 3rd bring together these elements, blending three histories together seamlessly. On his canvases he paints traditional designs depicting meeting places and connection, amongst the loose, abstract lettering and aerosol marks from his time as a graffiti artist. His works become meeting places, creating a conversation that moves between his Aboriginal heritage, street art culture and his current work in tattooing. The line-work represents Connection to Country, community groups who have worked with Shane and supported him as he continued to explore his Culture, and the collaboration that occurs in these spaces.

Working together on a mural in the gallery, Shane and Elizabeth blend their individual styles, collaborating to explore their Culture and Connection to Country. The bold marks made by Elizabeth are complemented by Shane’s abstracted and refined lines and aerosol highlights. Here, Shane has taken the marks of the street, tagging and aerosol paint, bringing them into the gallery, recognising their importance as a contemporary art form. Shane has painted his journey so far, documenting what he has been through and learnt in order to be here, and firmly announcing that he is here to stay and to continue to learn.

Shane Mankitya Kooka