Dreamtime

The painting speaks of the Dreamtime, where the stars are more than celestial bodies—they are the eyes of the ancestors, who journeyed through the dark night, carrying wisdom and love for the earth. The earth tones that dominate the canvas—burnt umbers, ochres, and soft tans—speak to the deep connection between the people and the land, the same land that holds the memories of their ancestors. In this world, the boundaries between sky and earth are blurred. The people, though grounded in the earth, are constantly watched by the stars, whose soft glow is not just light, but the very spirit of the Dreamtime itself, reaching down to offer guidance, protection, and reassurance.

This artwork is a quiet prayer, a reminder that the stars above are always present, even when unseen, and that the spirits of the Dreamtime live on in the patterns of the night sky, eternally watching over those who walk the land below.

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Born a Wiradjuri girl and coming from a rugged part of Sydney west, Angel is apart of a vast and expansive mob of NSW. 



At a very early age Angel’s love for art & creativity shone through in everything she did. Angel communicated through the arts and always found a way to express herself through performance or design.

Her greatest motivation has always been her mother, who raised her solo after her father passed away at the age of two. Her mother played many roles in the upbringing of Angel, she guided her through life & encouraged her creativity and passions, she ensured Angel was close to her culture & encouraged a pathway for Aboriginal & human rights activism.



In 2009 Angel had her first of 5 children, Honey. This proved to be a pivotal moment in her career as she could no longer commit to the unpredictable role of a makeup artist, she decided to pursue a career in Photography & spent the next 11 years taking photos all around the world, appearing in hundreds of international publications & securing a reputation as one of Gold Coast’s leading photographers. 


Soon after her grandfather passed away, Angel felt an urgency to be closer to him, her love of painting which was idle suddenly came to life!
 She needed an outlet to keep her grounded & healthy so she decided to complete a cultural art class and start painting as a way to communicate her disturbance and loss.

It didn’t take long before Angel jumped straight into painting full time, turning her way of coping into a process of story telling & celebration for her beautiful culture & land. ”There’s something very special about painting cultural art. It connects you to the country & to your ancestors in a way that gives you more respect and curiosity for the history of our land. It is the way our people have passed on information for thousands of years, It preserves our culture.” - Angel Riley