Alicia Close

From the Goenpul clan, Minjerribah

"My art is inspired by my Old people.
Keeping their stories alive.
Their memory alive.
Honouring them.
Keeping our culture strong by sharing those stories and old ways through my art so that knowledge continues to be passed down through the generations."

@terrangerri_arts

Artworks

Learn Heal Grow

Our country is a part of us and makes us who we are as a people. Aboriginal people have been blessed with this land by Biami, The Creator.

We are caretakers and custodians of our land treating it with respect and only taking what we need. For thousands of years we cared for country and that country has cared for us, providing food and water to sustain us for many, many generations. Strict lores were in place to ensure the continued plentiful supply of food. Food was shared. The old, very young, sick and disabled were cared for and provided for. Nobody starved.

My country is sea country. Quandamooka country. This painting shows the sea life that can be found there. Quampies (pearl oysters), eugaries (pipis), kinyingarra (oysters), andaccal (mullet) and more...

The line at the bottom right represents the injustices of the past. We will always remember the pains of our ancestors and the intergenerational traumas that still carry on today. I have left the top right of the painting empty. This represents the future that is yet to be written. A future of strength, a great resurgence and better understanding of our culture. That we as a Nation can grow together and learn from one another.

Our Beautiful Country

Our people have lived on this country for thousands of years and have seen the change of the landscape and the arrival of people from many nations. We are a sharing culture. We share our customs, traditions and stories, ancient stories.

The present sea levels here today came about 7000 years ago. There are 21 known stories across different sites along the costline of Australia that retell this event, describing the changes of the landscape as the sea levels rose. One is from my home country, Quandamooka country.

It is truly amazing to live in a country and be part of a culture where stories have survived thousands of years where there was no written form of recording but only through our art, songs, dances, these stories have survived. May these stories live on for many more generations to come.