Entertainment
17 March, 2025
Art with ancestral linkages
IN an exploration of thy self and culture, six First Nations artists will showcase 15 artworks, their family’s stories, day-to-day lives and the culture and ancestry that feeds their art in UMI Arts season opening exhibition You & Me.
The exhibition also marks the beginning of the 20th anniversary of UMI Arts.
You & Me will feature 15 acrylic paintings by six First Nations artists, from Hopevale to Cairns, showcasing what makes them who they are, their daily lives and their ancestry to make for an alluring mix of colours and styles.
UMI Arts exhibition and gallery officer Aleksandra Kostic D said You & Me was an opportunity to explore every artist’s particular style and story.
“This year is particularly significant for UMI Arts because we’re celebrating 20 years and we’re opening this 2025 season with You & Me,” she said.
“We have three women artists coming from the Hopevale Arts Centre in Esmae Bowen, Wanda Gibson and Daisy Hamlot and we have Shane Gibson from Hopevale, Peter Kulla Kulla from Northern Peninsula and Kassandra Savage from Mossman.
“All 15 artworks are very specific. Every artist showed their free style to explain and reflect their family and ancestors stories. The stories behind these artworks are very interesting, they explain, not only the artwork itself, but their tradition and culture.”
Waanyi Kurtijar woman Kassandra Savage is exhibiting three paintings of brolgas which highlight both her great grandmother’s totem and her relationship with her husband.
“I’ve got three paintings of brolgas. My inspiration comes from seeing them most of my life when I’m travelling and recently I learned that brolgas were my great grandmother’s totem, so that’s where my inspiration comes from,” she said.
“I find brolgas very elegant and majestic birds and their dancing is just amazing, I’ve been privileged to see them dancing on Country. When you research them you realise they mate for life and stay with the same partner.
“One of my paintings is called ‘Still dancing’ and my husband and I are celebrating 32 years of marriage this year which I wanted to portray in my artwork. My other piece, which also represents us, is ‘Stronger together’ which shows that if you have challenges in your life, we have each other to lean on, we get strength from each other and draw strength from our ancestors.”
You & Me opens tonight at 6pm. The exhibition will be displayed until
April 24. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4iou3gl
