Sheri Skele (Bigi Nagala)

The Time Is Now

This artwork represents Australians rising, standing in their power and living true to what they believe in. The intention behind this piece is for all Aboriginal Australians to regain self determination so that communities can regain control over their lives, their futures and decide how they address the issues facing them.

In this artwork you will see the sun rising, and with it millions of people. I designed it to encourage, galvanise and recognise that speaking up and standing up for the things that matter to us is an important cause, and the beginning of change for the better. - Sheri Skele

Shallows

This piece represents the shallow waters in Queensland that are thriving with life. We would spend all day at the beach in and out of the water, playing on the sand building sand castles and collecting shells and pippies. Sometimes we would go up to the BBQ's and cook a bunch of the fresh pippies we collected.

Gathering

This piece represents a gathering. A gathering of people far and wide who have travelled great distances to celebrate, dance and share stories together.

Pink Sunset

This painting is inspired by the beautiful Queensland coastline and breath-taking pink autumn sunsets. Filled with stars, dreamy palms, campsites and yarning circles, pink sunset will add warmth and personality to any space in your home.

Adventure

Living in Nhulunbuy was such an adventure. We would jump in the ute and head to one of the many waterholes nearby. Along the way we would pass lots of families in the bush often stopping to offer them some freshly caught fish if we had any. The country was so beautiful, full of colour, trees as far as the eye could see, and flies....yep there were a lot of flies.

Dreamy Daze

This painting represents a dream. I wanted to create the feeling of living in the present whilst still manifesting dreams into fruition. The palms in the forefront represent the present whilst the palms in the distance are there to create a feeling of what is yet to come. The fairy floss colours and white details symbolise people moving towards their dreams. This unique piece of culture will add creativity and meaning to any space.

Fresh Water

This piece represents the fresh water in the wet season. We would often drive for hours before reaching a fresh water hole to take a refreshing dip in. The water is so crystal clear you can see reeds growing on the bottom and fish hiding in them.

In Their Footsteps

(NAIDOC 2023)

The theme ‘For Our Elders’ felt perfectly relevant for this year's NAIDOC Week. It's our Elders' knowledge which is inherited from the generational stories and experiences of living on a particular country, and the exchange between generations of Aboriginal knowledge and cultural practices that so tightly connect and shape our community and identity today. The deep knowledge shared by Elders is continuously evolving. Their experiences of living in contemporary Australian society have provided them with another source of new knowledge which seeks to empower and unify today's generations of young Aboriginal communities.

Fundamentally, the contemporary colours I've chosen to use in this piece highlight the beauty and significance of traditional stories of the landscape and country. This isn't to forget the heartbreaking impact of colonisation and so much wisdom being lost. It also honours our Elders, who for more than 60,000 years have used ceremonies, cultural activities, storytelling and traditional crafts to pass on knowledge from generation to generation.

In this artwork you will see elements of Bidjara (my mob’s) country which is home to substantial Indigenous cultural heritage, Indigenous healing places, undisturbed natural bushlands, lagoons, wildlife and ancient waterways. This is the place where the Rainbow Serpent Mundagudda began its movement through the landscape and formed the waterways including the sandstone gorge itself. I also wanted to include the Aboriginal flag since it's a fundamental symbol for all Aboriginal people and our unity. The text embedded in the flag showcases what and who our Elders are and how vital their knowledge and presence is in connecting us to star, spirit, community, country and each other.