Shanai Kellett

Yorta Yorta and Juru

My name is Shanai Kellett, I’m an educator and contemporary Aboriginal artist. As a young girl in primary school my mum would often trace mine and my sister’s hands when developing a piece of art. I believe this has always stayed with me when I think about Aboriginal Art. I’ve always been surrounded by art, which in turn gave me the eagerness to practice my own version of traditional dot, lineage, and symbolism painting.

I’ve developed my own unique Contemporary Aboriginal art style which incorporates the use of sand (Maloga) in Yorta Yorta language and acrylic paint. For me Maloga is what connects us to mother earth, holidays with my relatives along the riverbanks of Cummeragunja and where I grew up on Boon Wurrung/ Bunurong country. My Aboriginal roots lead back to Yorta Yorta along the banks of the Murray River and Juru which is on the northern coast of Queensland.

I also feel very privileged to have Scottish/English bloodlines through my Dad’s family.

All of my artworks and stories respect the Aboriginal Landscape and Traditional Country of the Boon Wurrung/ Bunurong People, Yorta Yorta and Juru people, including all of Australia. Respecting the deep and continuing connection our Traditional Owners have to these lands and waters and their continuous ongoing care for Country.

@malogaart

Artworks

Unified Moments

‘Unified Moments’ reminds me of the many different, shades, textures and types of beach

treasures like shells and sea glass that flow or glisten in the shoreline or amongst the Sandy

Nepean. For many people that grew up on Boon Wurrung/ Bunurong country, collecting sea glass was a popular hobby. I always tried to find that perfect, smooth, green piece, often competing with my sister or mum. Sitting in the rockpools or scanning the shoreline with my hands, sifting through eye catching shells to find the perfect piece of sea glass is a treasured memory of mine with my mum and sister.

The Boon Wurrung / Bunurong women would often hunt and gather shellfish, sit and share

stories together. Thriving and only taking what was needed at the time. Some of these historical midden sites are still here today.

A variety of my traditional Yorta Yorta and Juru symbols alongside common Aboriginal symbols of gathering places, woman and varied sized dot work transform ‘Unified Moments’ and the ongoing connection us women have with Mother Nature.