Alicia Close

From the Goenpul clan, Minjerribah

"I grew up watching my Grandmother do many forms of art and craft. Listening to her stories, my family’s stories from my country, Quandamooka Country.

My art is inspired by my Old people.
Keeping their stories alive.
Their memory alive.
Honouring them.
Keeping our culture strong by sharing those stories and old ways through my art so that knowledge continues to be passed down through the generations."

@terrangerri_arts

Artworks

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Our Beautiful Country

Our people have lived on this country for thousands of years and have seen the change of the landscape and the arrival of people from many nations. The present sea levels here today came about 7,000 years ago. There are 21 known stories across different sites along the coastline of Australia that retell this event, describing the changes of the landscape as the sea levels rose. One is from my home country, Quandamooka Country.

Learn Heal Grow

Our country is a part of us and makes us who we are as a people. Aboriginal people have been blessed with this land by Biami, The Creator God.

We are the caretakers and custodians of our land, treating it with respect and only taking what we need. For thousands of years we have cared for country and country has cared for us, providing food and water to sustain us for many generations. Strict lores were in place to ensure the continued plentiful supply of food. Food was shared. The old, very young, sick and disabled were cared for and provided for. Nobody starved.

My country is Sea Country, Quandamooka Country. This painting shows the sea life that can be found there, such as Quampies (pearl oysters), eugaries (pipis), kinyingarra (oysters), andaccal (mullet) and many more. The thick, peach and white coloured squiggly line at the bottom left of the painting represents the injustices of the past. We will always remember the pains of our ancestors and the intergenerational traumas that still carry on today. I have left the top right corner of the painting empty to represent the future that is yet to be written. A future of strength; a great resurgence; a better understanding of our culture so that we, as a nation, can grow together and learn from one another.