Artist voice

Connection story
“I paint our Sea Country as I learned it from my father - through story, ceremony and family. This work sits on the body of Kurenja, the stingray, my totem. Inside the stingray are water lines and currents that move between our bays and islands; on top, our young ones dance a corroboree, guided by Elders. The hand stencils are the old people’s presence—like you see in rock shelters—reminding us we don’t dance alone. The crabs and palms place us on Palm Island; the gold outlines hold each dancer in the light of culture. I want our kids to feel this: culture first. When they dance and paint, they remember who they are on Manbarra Country.”

Elements to notice

• Stingray silhouette as ground: central manta/stingray form (Kurenja) carries the scene; infilled with tidal motifs (dots/lines/eddies).
• Corroboree figures: black‑and‑white dancers and an Elder/child pair; gold “halos” trace each figure—spirit/importance.
• Ancestral marks: hand stencils (top corners) referencing rock‑art traditions and welcome/smoking.
• Place markers: palm tree stencils (right) = Palm Island; crab stencils (lower corners) = sea tucker and reef life.
• Movement of Country: soft teal misting and water‑wash gradients suggest sea‑breeze, tide and songline travel.
• Protection law: shield/bukal‑like patterning inside the stingray (curvilinear lanes, dot ridges) implies law and safe passage.
• Platforms of smoke/dust beneath feet—evoking ceremony ground and smoking.

Technique notes
Acrylic base with aerosol stencils (hands, palms, crabs); collaged/transfer B&W figures finished by hand; dot/line infill across stingray form; metallic/glitter accents for shimmer like reef light. (Refine once studio notes confirm.)

Teaching message
Culture first.

Dance and painting keep our young ones connected to Sea Country and family.

‍