We visited the Koori Heritage Trust in Federation Square to view an exhibition of the latest works by Dr Deanne Gilson a proud Wadawurrung woman and an emerging Elder from Ballarat. She has a PhD from Deakin University on the subject of the objectification of Aboriginal women by the male and female colonial gaze and her work features themes about colonial disruption; loss of family, culture, language and traditional women’s practices.
I am the proud owner of one of her paintings. This is Murrup Laarr Ceremony, Koonawarra Ngarrunili (Dance of the Black Swan) painted in 2020. I love the colours and the intricacy of the dancing figures. This ceremony and the motif of the black swan recur in Deanne’s work.
She also designs and makes scarves and cloaks. I have one of her swan scarves. It’s beautiful. Here it is folded in half. Great colours and somewhat cryptic details – that bloody heart!
Deanne says that in these latest paintings: I am looking at the objects of our daily lives and as a First Nations artist responding to our objectification, showing us as still here, and our culture is still sacred to us. The exhibition is celebrating our plants and cultural practices through contemporary women’s business, returning the colonial gaze and highlighting we are still objectified, however I do this in a subtle way through kitsch objects of First Nations peoples that were inappropriate and quite hurtful to see; and also places them with flora and fauna which is how they were seen.
There is a series of quite exquisite paintings of flowers in traditional woven containers. The flowers are banksias, waratahs, hakeas and murnons (yam daisies). The dilly bags and baskets are drawn from the South Easter collection of artefacts held within the Melbourne Museum and gifts from family and friends. They reclaim back our knowledge, traditional business and practice, re-enriching our lives with culture, Country and connection through sharing once again. There were ten of these. They looked great grouped together as here.
There is a touch of gold on each of these paintings. Of varying value; some 18ct, some fools gold. Deanna says: The gold references two things for me, the goldfields in which I live, and that our knowledge is golden and important and worth more than gold. My ancestors had no use of gold itself it is just a metaphor … The true gold isn’t the gold from the goldfields, it’s us! Here is another group of four.
They are very beautiful individually. This is Biyal, Orange and Red Gum Blossom Dilly Bag. You can see the gold leaf quite clearly – it’s 18ct.
This is Silver (Yellow) Banksia Dilly Bag. Another with 18ct gold. Beautiful colour, intricate detail.
There were also larger paintings. All from 2022. I love the vivid colour in Still Sacred and Golden (Sacred Kingfisher and Golden Wattle). Once again this incorporates 18ct gold as well as pink ochre and acrylic paint. I think it’s stunning. A couple of kitsch objects offset the beauty.
I also like the patterned wallpaper against which all these larger paintings were hung. I also love the title of this one. Don’t Gang Gang Up on Me Ya Galah (Post Preston Ongoing Series). The Margaret Preston reference is quite apposite.
This is Delama Wurrak Ba-gurrk (Celebrating women’s business and banksia knowledge). Deanna says the paintings that include flowers, are all about honouring the beauty of Country and our women with the knowledge held in baskets.
I love the delicacy of this painting. There is great variety in these works. Another humorous title. Nan’s Chocolate Lily Watching Over Me. It’s made of pink and white ochre, acrylic and 18ct gold.
Swans are a key motif throughout Deanne’s work. This references the same cultural ceremony as mine. Kunawarra Ngarrimili (Me Dancing the Black Swan Dance at Murrup Laar). This has the same dancing figure as my painting. And more kitsch.
And here is a white swan with a dark message. White Poison, Post Climate Change.
And a final work, Post Joseph Banks, Still Sacred and Golden.
This is a lovely exhibition, well worth a visit. It won’t take you long. You can see more of Deanne’s work on her website which is here.
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