We are Gunnai, Waradgerie, Gunditjmarra and Yorta Yorta people from South East of Australia. Our brand is two boomerangs representing two people forming the tree which is significant to us as it represents our connection to country. You will see the shape of the canoe, which has been used for centuries to support our families to hunt, fish and travel. The roots and branches show our connection to earth and spirit and our art reflects this based on who we are and where we come from. Our values are all about maintaining the cultural integrity and authenticity of our art by staying true to our traditional markings and stories from our country.
Hand painted Silk Paj Scarves and Australian Merino Wool Shawls are a celebration of our connection to country, Ancestors and totems. These pieces are a colaboration between Young Art artists and Fashion Designer Lyn-Al. All silks and wools were ethically sourced from Beautiful Silks.
Richard Young Richard was born in 1962 and raised up as a Gunnai, Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man and lived in Broadmeadows (Broady) during the 1960’s – 1980’s. I have always tried to paint over my life and wanted to paint like my family members because they’re real deadly, they can paint realism, animals, symbols, landscapes etc. A few years ago I tried to paint a face and I thought that looks ok and then one day my sister came over and I showed her and she said that’s good Rich that’s a nice house, I was quietly shattered and later threw the painting outside and run over it with the car and threw it in the bin.
Then in 2017 my wife and daughter encouraged me to paint and just paint how I feel so I did. Today, I never thought that through painting, I would be revealed to self. I never knew that painting would be an emotional, personal, spiritual, cleansing, challenging and frustrating journey. It’s been a journey that has changed my view of myself, my behaviours, my mindset, my outlook, my parenting, my family, my parents, my situation.
Plant – Bush Foods Collection I am developing my approach of just allowing the wind and breeze to determine where the paint lands on the canvas. I started painting this way as I wanted to interact with the outside elements so that I don’t get in the way. I found that as I continued to put layer upon layer and as I used more water to create a fluid paint the various colours would infuse and create their own colour. I thought to myself perhaps that’s that way that plants constantly morph into new species. I also started to look more deeply into each piece and just like when you go bush you see the landscape from a distance and can think that its all one colour or plant type but when you go into the bush and really look down and around you will see more variation of colours and species of plants.
The variety of colours and background are an abstract expression of the types of foods, medicines, land types and seasons that each species grows in. The types of bush foods include the river mint, daisy yams, grasses, wattle seeds and trees, gum leaves and salt bush, mountain peppers, finger limes peppermint leaf, wild honey and so on.