A series of drawings showing Caption Cook with splotches of paint, a graffiti tag and Uluru accompanied by the words "You tarnish my culture I'll defile your history".

Frensham School

Gundungurra Country

Rebellion and Reclamation

Collection of Works

Acrylic/oil on board, lino print

My body of work explores the repercussions of colonialism on Indigenous communities. Tainting the colonial figures with defiant splashes of paint directly references the 2018 event in which Captain Cook's statue was defaced with pink paint. The graffiti addresses colonialism's ongoing consumption of Indigenous heritage. At the base of the work is a triptych lino print representing Uluru. This alludes to the claimed lands. Yothu Yindi’s lyrics represent the collective Indigenous view on colonisation. This assembly of imagery and text unites motifs of rebellion and reclamation, weaving a powerful testament to Indigenous perseverance against colonialism's shackles.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Richard Bell, Tony Albert, Vincent Namatjira, Jonathan Jones, Nathaniel Dance, Francis Wheatley.

ARTEXPRESS 2024 is a collaboration between NSW Department of Education and NSW Education Standards Authority, curated and presented by Hazelhurst Arts Centre.