Red Cockatoo Australia

Karen identifies as an Aboriginal woman descended from the Dharug (Sydney region) and acknowledges her close family relationships to the Dharawal people of the South Eastern Coast (from Sydney to Nowra). Her ancestry dates back to the Cabrogal people; the Georges River area of Liverpool and includes four generations of Aboriginal woman living at La Perouse (the Northern headland of Botany Bay).

Karen describes her painting as an expression of her relationship to people, place and feeling. In particular, her artwork honours families; both past and present. She is a proud mother of twin boys and is assisting them to develop their own expression of culture and connections.

Her paintings often reflect journeys towards wellbeing as well as using hands as a symbol of identity. All artworks are offered in the spirit of sharing. They can be described as vibrant in colour with a contemporary approach to traditional designs.

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Chris works in traditional colours; red, yellow, white and black.

His use of ochres and acrylics on a black background is striking.

As a Dharug man he is a traditional custodian in the Blue Mountains region and shares some of the local stories via his artworks.

Chris also works on commissions for government bodies, small business and community organizations.

He has also published a small booklet 'The Dharug Story', an Aboriginal History of Western Sydney, available from Red Cockatoo Australia website.

Chris coordinates Aboriginal presentations for small groups, large school groups, private tours and for hotel guests.

Earth Journeys and The Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute describe a little about his work.

Recently Chris has been asked to present and welcome students at Macquarie University and in Canberra.

While working with National Parks he also co-ordinates other Aboriginal rangers to deliver cultural presentations as well as teaching large groups of children about ochres, weapons, Dharug language, painting, dancing and Aboriginal games.

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As an established artist Dianne works and is guided entirely by spirit and faith.

Her recent work, including Waratah, Banksia and Bottlebrush, featured in the gallery, include paint mixed with natural pigments such as sand, ochres and gum leaves. Her work is vibrant and powerful using both acrylic and oil paints.

Dianne's art is indicative of her belief in the connectedness of herself and her ancestors' dreaming with Christian mysticism.

Dianne will feature in Streetwise, the book written by photographer Peter Adams; due to be released in Spring 2008.

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Robyn has an Art Gallery at the Leura Gateway, Blue Mountains.

Already and accomplished artist, textile and fashion designer Robyn Caughlan is soon to have published her book "Waiting at the Gate". An honest and inspiring account of overcoming the difficulties in her life. At the age of five years Robyn was sent on a holiday and was never returned to her family. Her father had just died three months earlier. She waited at the gate for her mother to return, and soon realized her mother, sister and four brothers were also lost to her. Despite wonderful foster parents and a sister for many years she still felt her loss of identity.

As an aspiring author, Robyn also has wide recognition in several other creative fields. She has designed four national costumes worn in the Miss Universe pageants, and was also the official designer for Miss Teen Australia for three consecutive years. Her Miss Universe gown "Meeting Place" was purchased and exhibited after the Las Vegas pageant by Sydney's Powerhouse Museum .

Robyn was voted Aboriginal Artist of the Year in 1990 and 1991 and subsequently became the director of the Boomalli Gallery, the first Sydney art gallery to be run by Indigenous artists and display work created only by Indigenous Australians.

Robyn's textile designs and fashions were showcased in New York and Milan with assistance from the Australia Council. She choreographed her own fashion show for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was the first Indigenous woman to enter a ready'to'wear collection for Mercedes Fashion Week. From canvas to catwalk Robyn's artworks create beautiful fabrics and spectacular fashion.

Contemporary spiritual designs with bold colour and strong linework now decorate The York Apartments in Sydney , Kondari Resort Harvey Bay and Sabya in Port Douglas, Queensland.

"I enjoy finding creative ways to express my spirituality, my Aboriginality and of course the heritage of our land. I enjoy the freedom and style that I can call my own, based on my personal interpretation. My style also allows a contemporary Aboriginal artist to go beyond Aboriginal Art extending into mainstream culture.

I believe all cultures are important, my mother's family is of Aboriginal descent from the Darug/Darkenjung nations and my father came from Belfast and his grandmother from Spain. I am blessed with a multicultural heritage.

My sponsor; Allan Keogh of Eurama Vision Australia P/L has been a great support, I am also grateful to the Leura Gateway who permanently host my gallery in the Blue Mountains."

For more information please see:

www.smh.com.au/articles

www.bluemountainsway.com.au

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Leanne Tobin is descended from the Dharug, the traditional Aboriginal people of Greater Western Sydney.

Leanne feels a strong sense of commitment and responsibility to the place of her family and what happened in this place, pre-settlement and post-settlement. Leanne works both as a primary teacher and educator teaching local Dharug histories,stories and land care to the wider public.

Leanne's work acknowledges her mixed ancestry using Western techniques infused with Aboriginal symbolism and stories. Her art, regardless of subject matter, attempts to portray a human element or emotive quality to it and seeks to connect people through the common human feelings shared by all. Teaching about the land and its people is crucial because of the need for people living here today to understand the role of custodian in caretaking for country and ensuring that we look after, conserve and share what we have.

Her landscapes seek to convey the intrinsic spiritual connection of Indigenous people with the land, that which is often hidden beneath concrete and tar: the hidden stories of this place long ago.

Leanne has worked as an award winning Aboriginal artist for seventeen years. She was a finalist in the NSW Parliament Arts Prize for Indigenous Art 2005//2006/2007. Several local government organisations have purchased her work and she has won two major awards in 2006.

Leanne has recently finished 3 murals at local schools and works collaboratively as an Art teacher. Leanne at present is employed at Bligh Park through a Conservation Society grant to depict endangered and vulnerable species found on the school site. Leanne also conducts interpretive walks and has shared her skills in ochre painting with the arts group.

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A Gamillaroi woman, artist, writer, painter and mother. Elly has held solo and group exhibitions and sells her artwork regularly. Her vibrant colours and use of antique pink backgrounds make her work unique.

Elly's personal totem is the Goanna so it is predominant in most of her artworks. Often you will see the Goanna tracks accross her works and the lines in between the tracks representing the Goanna's tail.

Other themes include family and communities connecting, butterflies and flora and fauna.

Elly has worked for National Parks and also set up an Aborginal Arts Initiative in one of the Western Sydney schools. Elly also presents cultural workshops and talks on the Stolen Generation.

Read Elly Chatfield's article in the Sydney Morning Herald, February 2008.

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Graham King was born in 1976, spent his childhood in Redfern and the inner west of Sydney. His mother is Ada King from the Ngiyampaa and Wiradjuri peoples and his father is Sid Davis from Gosford.

He has over thirty years Aboriginal dance experience and over twenty years of Aboriginal radio experience with 2RSR, 2SER in Sydney and 2XX in Canberra. He also has over twenty years of Aboriginal storytelling experience. He has studied Aboriginal languages of Australia at the Australian National University.

King was awarded the Cannes Film Award for writing Lake Mungo Lady in 1992 and recently won the COFA Professional Development Award in the 2006 Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize Exhibition. His painting technique is unique in this region using natural pigments such as ochres, tree resins, charcoals and clays. His recent work includes a series of lino cut prints.

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I am from the Gundungurra Nation located just west of Sydney which encompasses the areas known as the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Goulburn Plains; archaeological evidence from these areas date back 40,000 years.

When I go about creating new movement I employ visualisation of my land and its inhabitants, whether it is an animal, a scent or light. I use these tools as a way to generate movement. My spirit is in dance. It is my passion, my culture and my 40,000 year old obsession. It is a bold element of my Aboriginal heritage.

I infuse contemporary dance with traditional. I believe without a fusion of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance with modern dance we can't move forward. This is because for the generations ahead, whether Torres Strait Islander, Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, some need to understand dance on more of a contemporary level. When this infusion occurs it allows people to understand the significance of traditional dance, the concept, intention of the dance and more importantly, our culture. This is what I believe to be true reconciliation within the creative industries - it is about coming together, listening and learning about each others culture and to build a strong future through working together. If we don't have a strategy, we cannot move forward. We can only move forward if we respect the past.

As an Aboriginal artist, I take most of my inspiration and muse from the land which I have origins with.

Through my grandmother, Aunty Dawn Colless, I have been taught that I come from the land and I journey back into the land. This is the same with my movement. It generates from the land and travels back into the land.

I have also looked at my choreography from different angles - I like people to view my work from all around. My ancestors of the past would view any type of dance from a 360 degrees perspective. This photograph is limiting because it is a two dimensional piece and not able to show equality, collaboration and unity. Traditionally, our work was viewed in a 360 degrees format around the performer. Its ritual showed collaboration and unity.

I am currently studying at Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Dance. Whitefellas talk about centering, Blackfellas talk about grounding. In Brisbane I'm floating; in Katoomba I'm always more grounded. I'm home, you know . . .

View the gallery to see all the images.