Two Way Exhibition Stories

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Artists : Aurora Abraham, James Kerr, Tania Ferrier and Glen Stasiuk

Artwork Title: THE WADJEMUP PROJECT

CLICK to hear these artists talking about their collaborative experience.

Aurora Abraham, Glan Stasiuk, James Kerr and Tania Ferrier all has something in common before they met; a deep connection to the island called “Wadjemup” by the Aboriginal people and called “Rottnest” by non-Aboriginal people.

All four people in “The Wadjemup Project” have spent time on the island independently working on projects looking at the social history of the island which was first settled in the early 1800s as a penal colony for aboriginal males. During the states frontier days of claiming the country, many men were removed to the island to suffer the terrible conditions of incarceration at the infamous “Quod” prison.

Aboriginal artist Aurora Abraham has worked on the island and has a deep spiritual connection which she shares in the project in her video interview ( link will be available soon)

Indigenous film maker, Glen Stasuik has been working on his own documentary about the island in a film titled “Wadjemup, Black Prison, White Playground”. Glen interview Aurora for our project.

James Kerr & Tania Ferrier have collaborated in the creation of “The Quod Project” which looked at the infamous history of the Quod building and questioned its current use as a luxury resort. Aspects of this project and Glen’s resulted in the photo shoot involving indigenous actor Curtis Taylor. He channels the spirits of the many men who died in the Quod building.

The four artists have come together for the Kidogo project to share our projects in a group collaboration to let us all acknowledge the past suffering and to show our deep respect to the place Wadjemup/ Rottnest as a living memorial site for all Western Australians.

Artists: Jo Darvall and Deborah Bonar

Artwork Title: NYAWANA AND THE GOLDEN SUN MOTH JOURNEY TO THE WATERHOLE

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This painting symbolises the collaboration between two artists from different cultural backgrounds, and with different perspectives on life, the world and art.

The golden sun moth is a recurring motif in Jo Darvall's artwork, which embodies the spirits of travellers. Deborah Bonar's Gija totem is Nyawana, the water monitor.

The moth and the water monitor, combined with Jo's love of the North West and Deborah's spiritual connection to the East Kimberley are the elements which provide a dynamic interface between the artists. The painting captures the warmth and vibrant beauty of the landscape and represents the sharing of skills, culture and artistic metaphors.

Artists: Toogarr Morrison, Rachel Coad and Kristi Chua

Artwork Title: BIBBULLMUN NATION - THREE WAYS

CLICK to hear these artists talking about their collaborative experience.

Back in the Nyittin ( Cold times ) The Yongahs (Kangaroos) Pricked their ears and listened, they turned to where the noise came from and observed the Salt water starting to rise up over the continental shelf (Waaluukin boodjarr). The big yongahs came bounding down from the Boorda ( Darling Ranges) to help push the flood back, But the salt water became too strong and started to surround the hill as the yongahs rested on this highest place : the winds joined together and picked up to create the water into a greater force. The larger yongahs raced back to the mainland helped by the wind and the smaller yongahs were left on the Island. The Island is Wadjemup (The Strong Winds), Today called Rottnest Island. The Derbal Nara (Cockburn Sound) was established with other islands’ appearing; Meeandip (Garden Island), Ngooloormayup (Carnac Island) with We Dee Pluna (Mewstone Rock). When the waters receded, the islands including Wadjemup were the last remains of land on Waaluukin Boodjarr.
As the winds blew across the sea to Walyalup: Fremantle (A place of Winds) they would interfere with the sacred ceremonial practice of the Bibbullmun Nation Indigenous inhabitants’. The crossing of the River over the Gumbar Youndak Nirnt (The Lime Stonebar) which was placed there by the Wagle to stop the Seawater entering the Derbal Yaragan (Swan River).The sea water would pollute the sacredness of the fresh river water.
The sacred songs and dances were given to the Nunngans-Mothers who told the Yorgahs-females who practiced with the Beedawongs- Teenage girls to enhance the safety and healthy return of the Moolyeets-young teenage male initiates. The rituals assisted the Moolyeets to cross the Gumbar Youndok Nirnt from the northern side Geena Beree (point Rouis) to Gnarne Gen Berrgen Nyining (Arthurs Head). The Nunngans, Yorgahs, and Beedawongs engaged the sacred songs and dances on top of another hill next to Gnarne Gen Berrgen Nyining; unfortunately it has been leveled for limestone blocks.
At this sacred hill site the Yorgahs left newly made Bookas (Kangaroo Skin Cloaks) for the Moolyeets to keep the winds of their backs in their time of the initiation also to obtain the spirit of the great totem yongahs.
On Gnarne Gen Berrgen Nyining; sacred ritual was performed for those young Moolyeets who returned. The Nyoongah (Traditional Men) inserted a bone through the nose and the Moolyeets who became Nyoongahs (Traditional Men) within the Law of the Bibbullmun Nation.
The seas and the winds are still rising today but the keeper/helper of these two elements is the Chillion (Sea Eagle). These sacred Totem spirit uses the elements and observes the sea from the uptake as the sacred songs which are drifting in and out of the storms, on the winds, their wings glide them from Island to Island then to their resting places on the limestone where their nests are constructed.
The Chillion spirit of the Bibbullmun people rises into the air and seeks the sacred songs and dances that were practiced in the Dreamtime: they are still there on the white tips of the waves also as they break upon the shore at Wappur Ngo Bar ( Bathers Beach) nearby Karrbung Mya (Kidogo) and in the rolling thunder clouds, they are carried by the winds that still travel from Wadjemup on past Walyalup up the Derbal Yaragan then over the Boordas.

Artists Names: Lucky Ocean, Dave Milroy and Sally Morgan

Title of Artwork:

The slide hits the strings, weaving across the fret board and slithering it’s way to the top of the neck. It wails and screams for the long lost woman, the love turned bad and the devil at your door. Elmore James, Son House, Muddy Waters all new the power of the slide when it came to the blues. Lucky and myself both grew up next to creeks that weaved their way to rivers that slithered to the sea. Lucky lived in Philadelphia next to the tributary of the Wissahickon River and me in Manning next to the Canning River. Though we were born worlds apart, our serendipitous love of country blues brought us together as part of a backing band at the Gnangara Aboriginal community in 1983. Coming from the world of tightly programmed country shows, Lucky was impressed by how the performers sauntered slowly to the stage when their names were announced. From there we’ve collaborated on a number of project the most recent being Waltzing the Wilarra where we had the opportunity to indulge ourselves in the styles of music we hold close to our hearts, Blues, Jazz and Country. The snake captures our life journeys we’ve been weaving like the slide guitars and the rivers we grew up with. The black snake features in a number of Blues songs and we’ll leave it to your imagination to work out why.