Contemporary and Traditional Style Aboriginal Artwork
I began learning how to paint on boomerangs when I was around six, from my uncle Joe Skeen. Later, in 1981, I started my professional painting career with Queensland Aboriginal Creations in Brisbane. Several things inspire my artwork. The first is my upbringing within my Aboriginal family, which includes artists, painters and artifact manufacturers; the outback traditional lands of our grandmother, from Musgrave Station and the Laura district, being the Kuku-Thaypan people of Far North Queensland, and the Bowen Basin district Birriah and Widi people of Central Queensland, of my grandfather. Second to this is the brilliance of Far North Queensland’s rainforests and seas.
I use both traditional ochre tones and the multicolours from inland bush to sea themes and abstracts about the life and spirituality of Aboriginal people. My artwork mainly depicts animal figures, following the teachings of my Uncle and my grandfather. After starting at Queensland Aboriginal Creations, I worked at the Indigenous Pavilion at Expo 88 and have since continued to produce original paintings.
Throughout the years, my artwork has been exhibited in various countries, including Russia, Holland, France, Singapore, and Australia—numerous private homes and businesses worldwide house significant pieces of my work. Additionally, I have created a range of products, including traditional artifacts, limited edition prints, fabric designs, souvenirs, and merchandise. I am always open to exploring new ideas and creating new products, with commissioned artwork being my specialty.
Art has been an integral part of my life since my early childhood, and I have dedicated myself to painting throughout the years. The rich tapestry of my style and the narratives I weave on canvas have been inherited from older family members, who have passed down their artistic wisdom to me. Although I took a lengthy hiatus from painting, I now find an urgent calling within me to carry forward our family’s cherished tradition of being aboriginal art painters.
I have worked in First Nations arts consultancy positions, project management, curation, public art, and advocacy for the Aboriginal Arts Industry and artists. I am the proud owner of Widiworks Aboriginal Art and have a gallery in Kuranda, Far North Queensland. My whole life has been absorbed by re-connecting to Country.
It is my fervent desire to impart this legacy of painting to future generations of our family, ensuring that our vibrant painting culture remains alive and thriving. Painting, for me, is a profound amalgamation of spirituality, culture, and familial bonds. It allows me to forge a deep connection to my roots and rediscover my sense of belonging to the land. Through the act of painting, I experience a true sense of wholeness and fulfilment, embracing the essence of my being. I have many stories to tell and am proud of my heritage and our survival as a family from the oldest modern people on Earth.
Contemporary and Traditional Style Aboriginal Artwork
I began learning how to paint on boomerangs when I was around six, from my uncle Joe Skeen. Later, in 1981, I started my professional painting career with Queensland Aboriginal Creations in Brisbane. Several things inspire my artwork. The first is my upbringing within my Aboriginal family, which includes artists, painters and artifact manufacturers; the outback traditional lands of our grandmother, from Musgrave Station and the Laura district, being the Kuku-Thaypan people of Far North Queensland, and the Bowen Basin district Birriah and Widi people of Central Queensland, of my grandfather. Second to this is the brilliance of Far North Queensland’s rainforests and seas.
I use both traditional ochre tones and the multicolours from inland bush to sea themes and abstracts about the life and spirituality of Aboriginal people. My artwork mainly depicts animal figures, following the teachings of my Uncle and my grandfather. After starting at Queensland Aboriginal Creations, I worked at the Indigenous Pavilion at Expo 88 and have since continued to produce original paintings.
Throughout the years, my artwork has been exhibited in various countries, including Russia, Holland, France, Singapore, and Australia—numerous private homes and businesses worldwide house significant pieces of my work. Additionally, I have created a range of products, including traditional artifacts, limited edition prints, fabric designs, souvenirs, and merchandise. I am always open to exploring new ideas and creating new products, with commissioned artwork being my specialty.
Art has been an integral part of my life since my early childhood, and I have dedicated myself to painting throughout the years. The rich tapestry of my style and the narratives I weave on canvas have been inherited from older family members, who have passed down their artistic wisdom to me. Although I took a lengthy hiatus from painting, I now find an urgent calling within me to carry forward our family’s cherished tradition of being aboriginal art painters.
I have worked in First Nations arts consultancy positions, project management, curation, public art, and advocacy for the Aboriginal Arts Industry and artists. I am the proud owner of Widiworks Aboriginal Art and have a gallery in Kuranda, Far North Queensland. My whole life has been absorbed by re-connecting to Country.
It is my fervent desire to impart this legacy of painting to future generations of our family, ensuring that our vibrant painting culture remains alive and thriving. Painting, for me, is a profound amalgamation of spirituality, culture, and familial bonds. It allows me to forge a deep connection to my roots and rediscover my sense of belonging to the land. Through the act of painting, I experience a true sense of wholeness and fulfilment, embracing the essence of my being. I have many stories to tell and am proud of my heritage and our survival as a family from the oldest modern people on Earth.
our mission
At Widiworks we strive to create
art that enhances connection
to spirituality, culture, family
and country, giving a true
sense of whole-being.
our mission
At Widiworks we strive to create
art that enhances connection
to spirituality, culture, family
and country, giving a true
sense of whole-being.
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