red dot gallery singapore . 1 – 30 september 2018
Tallara Gray, Cassie Leatham, Beverley Meldrum
Badjurr Baluk is a Kulin Nation word from the Melbourne area and it encompasses the women of Baluk Arts whom are from different regions around Australia. Here, the women have created their own group of belonging at Baluk Arts, being away from their own Country.
Badjurr Baluk is an exhibition of four female leading artists from Baluk Arts, an Aboriginal Art Centre from the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The exhibition showcases a high quality and diverse range of works made entirely from natural materials by the women artists. Exquisite works made from materials that have been locally sourced including clay, fibre, ochre and feathers, evoke memories of personal history.
The women have a strong sense of Country and belonging which reflects in their intricate, earthy works. The women’s art is entrenched with story – personal individual stories that connect the artists to their own culture and sense of belonging. The earthy palette and use of mixed media reflects the women’s connectivity to Country embedded within each of the vessels on exhibition. The vessels encase the vital knowledge held by each of these women, their stories of connection to Country, despite the majority of the artists working at a distance from their traditional home lands. Creating works such as these guides them home, whilst bringing the women peace and a sense of healing through the practice of art.
This collection of works explores the protective and nurturing role of nature through the tradition of using elements from the natural world. Badjurr Baluk showcases a rich expression of culture, identity and place that links and unites generations.
Curated by Lisa Waup