NAIDOC WEEK 2023 – Honouring Aboriginal History & Culture 

NAIDOC Week is a significant event that honours their history, culture, and achievements, and it’s a time to reflect, celebrate and embrace the rich diversity of Australian Indigenous cultures.

Aboriginal art serves as a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural expression, and connection to Country for Indigenous Australians.

This year, we’re also shining a spotlight on a few of the many talented Aboriginal artists in the community.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NAIDOC WEEK

Celebrated annually, this year from the 2nd to the 9th of July, National NAIDOC Week is a platform to raise awareness about the experiences and status of Indigenous Australians.

NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginals and Islanders Day Observance Committee, which has origins tracing back to the 1920s where Aboriginal groups wanted to build awareness in the wider Australian community of the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This is also a week that aims to promote understanding, respect, and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

This year’s theme is “For Our Elders” which is about understanding and honouring the Elders and their influence and learnings. “We pay our respects to the Elders we’ve lost and to those who continue fighting for us across all our Nations and we pay homage to them.” You can learn more about this year’s theme by clicking here.

SPOTLIGHT: MARGARET NAPANGARDI LEWIS

Hailing from a framily of respected artists, Margaret  Napangardi Lewis was born in 1952 at Mt Doreen Station, located in Warlpiri country.  located in the Simpson Desert northwest of Alice Springs. She didn't receive much formal education but has a deep understanding of the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives and possesses extensive knowledge of her homeland.

Margaret and her family resided and moved around Mina Mina country, an important location with a significant rock hole and numerous Dreaming stories connected to it. Margaret is one of approximately 3,000 Warlpiri speakers who either currently live in or originate from the Tanami Desert region in Central Australia.

As an artist, Margaret is highly skilled and versatile. Over time, Margaret's artistic style has evolved into several distinct forms. Her paintings depict the stories associated with her homeland, specifically Janyinki and the Mina Mina Dreaming located to the west of Yuendumu. Margaret has been exposed to painting since childhood, and her artworks reflect the distinctive style of the Yuendumu area, featuring bold and vibrant colors combined with intricate dot work. Her paintings often depict women's stories and narratives connected to her homeland.

SHOP MARGARET’S PIECES HERE >

SPOTLIGHT: AMANDA HINKELMANN

Amanda Hinkelmann, a proud Wiradyuri woman, hails from Wagga Wagga on Wiradyuri Country. Growing up surrounded by the beauty of nature and the richness of Indigenous culture, Amanda's artistic journey began under the influence of her father, from whom her Aboriginal heritage comes from.

Today, she uses her artistic talents as a way to communicate, connect, and express herself. Amanda's artwork revolves around three central themes: connection, Country, and experience.
Through her paintings, she weaves together narratives that evoke emotions, share cultural stories, and foster a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives.

Amanda's passion for art runs deep, serving as a form of therapy and a way to find fulfillment and emotional strength. It is her means of bringing her intuitive strengths to life, and she embraces art as an essential part of her existence.
With numerous projects, aspirations, and adventures on the horizon, Amanda's artistic journey promises to be one filled with exploration, growth, and a deepening connection to self, culture, and Country.

SHOP AMANDA'S PIECES HERE >

SPOTLIGHT: JOEDIE LAWLER

Biripi Artist and traditional weaver, Joedie Lawler brings immense passion and heart to each one of her contemporary masterpieces. As well as a series of spectacular Aboriginal paintings, she has also delivered various commercial commissions using raw materials such as glass and fabric.

Since learning her craft from a young age, closely taught by her grandmother in Taree, Joedie continues to express her views and thoughts through her original works of art. Using knowledge and experience from her upbringing, she considers her work as a contemporary reflection of her personal view of the world and the connections she has with others, with each dot transporting herself to a space of peace.

No matter what she creates, Joedie hopes every viewer can connect with her work and find the same peace in it as she feels the moment she puts paint to canvas.

SHOP JOEDIE'S PIECES HERE >

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ABORIGINAL ART

Aboriginal art holds deep cultural significance, acting as a powerful link to the past, present, and future of Indigenous peoples.
It encompasses a wide range of art forms, including rock paintings, bark paintings, sculptures, and contemporary works. For First Nations, art is not just a means of creative expression, it’s also a way of preserving and sharing their stories, traditions, and connection to Country.

Art is an expression of their identity and spirituality. Through their artwork, many of them tell stories known as the Dreamtime that they then pass down generation after generation. Often, their paintings are seen as visual teachings. Dreamtime stories are an important foundation in Aboriginal culture, and it gives reason and meaning to the earth and its formations. In the words of Amanda, “Art is a way of living- a form in which to communicate, a therapy. I have an innate sense of fulfillment and emotional strength when I paint. Something I have searched for over years. I use my art to tell stories- all of which are based around one of three things- connection, Country and experience.”

“I will continue to learn more about who I am and how I can add to the fulfilment in which I have found through art and culture. I will always be a giver, a peacemaker and a friend. This time is for me and I am so excited that you are here on my journey as I paint my heart out.”