Abby Way
Year 6
St Luke’s Catholic Primary School, Revesby
Nativity Dreaming
My great grandmother is from the Kamilaroi clan and I wanted to incorporate my indigenous heritage into my artwork, by creating a dot painting. My artwork is an appropriation of “The Gift”, by indigenous artist Rev. Robyn Davis.
Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus are the central figures, while the three emus, which are my great grandmother’s animal totem, represent the Magi. The brolga in the top corner represents the angel, while in the opposite corner is the bright star. The rainbow serpent, around the border, represents the great life giver and is one of my favourite dreaming stories.
I was inspired by many indigenous artists such as Duwun Lee and Richard Campbell and the traditional dot painting technique. Acrylic paint was used to create the colourful dots on a sponged background. My intentions are to show acknowledgement of my culture, through my artwork. I wanted to focus on my cultural background and gain a deeper connection to the Land, my family and my faith.
