Deadly Dubs

Identity; culture; family: these themes are central to my art making practice. In my language group, Yaegl, emphasis is placed on matriarchal lineage and belonging to 'country'. Investigating my heritage through three generations of women I have drawn inspiration from personal experiences of my mother's birthplace, the Northern Rivers of NSW. Symbols associated with the Clarence River recur throughout my work and act as a link to the creation story of 'Dirrangun, water spirit'. The dominant symbols of fish, turtles and the female water spirits metaphorically represent myself, my mother and my grandmother. The totems echo the female figure and reiterate the influence of the matriarch in my family. Their link to the land is contextualised in the photographs – they are seen in the local environment where I have grown up.