Turtle Dreaming

This artwork celebrates the Yakkan (turtle), a sacred animal to the artist, depicted both gliding through the water and sunbaking/resting on the sand. Flowing waves and sand represent the balance between the water and land, reflecting the turtle’s connection to both.

This is a painting of the connection to land, river and sea. It is about how we, as Indigenous people in different tribes, come together as one with power and strengths, meeting together at gathering places and secret sites. Gymea specifically made the water and land wavy to show our ancestors will always be with us from land, river and sea.

Balap Koorl – Together We Go

Balap Koorl or Together We Go, is an artwork painted in soft and vibrant pinks, telling the story of a growing connection and sense of community wrapped in love and compassion. This painting is a gentle but powerful reminder of togetherness, land and a bright living culture is expressed and grown.

This is a painting of a red tail cockatoo, it is the totem of Giaan’s Great Grandfather. She painted people gathering around the totem to show other people’s connection to the totem and how we all come together as Gundijtmara peoples, a tribe in southwest Victoria.

Nimeesha chose the Southern Cross and Musca constellation because you can see them in the summer night sky when you look to the south. She made this artwork by painting the background black first, then painting the stars yellow and white and the other stars blue. When Nimeesha looks at the night sky, she thinks about how far away the stars are.

As the day begins to sleep, the sun spirit – Waru – finishes its long journey across the sky. Waru is a powerful ancestor, giver of warmth, light and life. Each evening, Waru returns to the western mountains to rest in the spirit world.

Koora, koora – long time ago, the Noongar people came together at a special place, right in the heart of Boodja (country). The big circle in the middle is the karlup, the campfire where elders shared stories and passed down knowledge. The wavy lines are bidi (paths) – family groups travelling from different parts of Noongar Boodja from the coast, the bush and the hills. The dots are all the things they saw along the way, bush tucker, animals, waterholes and the tracks left by the wagyl, the rainbow serpent who shaped the land. Every path led back to the circle. To connection. To culture. To home. And still today, the stories live on in the land, waiting to be heard.

Listening to Country, Learning From Land

The beautiful colours of Country guide our journey – through families, campsites, rivers and streams, hills, and valleys. As we walk, we leave footprints in the sand and carry stories in our hearts. Listening, learning and connecting to Noongar culture, we honour the land and those who walked before us.

Rachel painted the Koala because its native to Australia and she was inspired by the bushfires in Queensland that affected many of Koalas survival. It brought much sadness to Rachel to think of them stuck in the trees during this hard time. You can see in the background that she has incorporated the colours of fire while the Koala sits perched on a tree also including the colour blue, representing the water to put the fire out.

Divided, not apart: A story of connection through grief

In this painting, two kangaroos sit on opposite sides of a flowing, sacred river. One is grey, grounded in this world, ears tilted forward, eyes heavy with memory. This kangaroo represents the one who remains—the mourner, watching with quiet longing. He looks across the shimmering water at the one he’s lost.

The other kangaroo is black, textured like a starry night. He has passed on—a spirit, no longer of the earth but not forgotten. Though he has crossed to the other side, he still turns back, his gaze filled with love and stillness. He sees the one who mourns him. Though their worlds are now divided, their bond is not.

The river between them is more than water—it is the divide between heaven and earth, the physical and the spiritual, presence and memory. Its swirling blues and whites reflect the movement of time, emotion, and energy that connects the two even when they cannot touch.

Above them, the sky stretches into a universe of stars—a Dreaming sky, rich with symbols and ancestral presence. It holds their story, as it holds all stories. The ochre ridge that cuts across the middle of the painting anchors the piece in Country, reminding us that even in grief, we are held by land and spirit.

This is not a painting of separation, but of connection. It is a painting about grief, love, and the unbreakable bond between souls—across time, across worlds.

Four Generations

The handprints of four generations of strong, beautiful, independent women and young ladies. Breaking generational trauma and cycles building legacies for future generations to come.

Grandmother (Sharon Ninyette), Mother (Marjorie Corbett), Granddaughter (Jada Corbett) and Great-Granddaughter (Zahmaliyah Nettles), a bond like no other.

The bond between a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughters. Grandmothers can provide a listening ear and a safe space for their daughters to share their joys and challenges, offering emotional support and wisdom from a different generational perspective. They do storytelling, family history, and traditions that strengthens the bond and helps build a sense of connection between present and future generations. A close relationship between generations can strengthen the overall family unit, creating a sense of connection and support.

Chitty Chitty bird (Mum) and Turtle (Dad) are animals that are symbolic to each side of Jada’s mother and father’s families.

My Boab Tree

This artwork represents a Boab tree, which is a special tree that grows in Derby, a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where Tarra Lee used to live. The Boab tree is not only unique but also holds cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous Australians and Tarra Lee personally. She chose to paint the Boab because it reminds her of her childhood and the connection she feels to the land and community in Derby. Throughout this artwork Tarra used warm earthy colours to reflect the Kimberley landscape and Australian land. Around the Boab, she incorporated dot painting and patterns inspired by Indigenous art styles to honour the traditions and storytelling passed down through generations. This tree is a memory, place and a connection to Tarra Lee’s culture and country that she will always carry with her.