The Pass - Cavanbah by artist Anthony J. Walker from the Yiman, Ghungalu, Gooreng Gooreng peoples of Central Queensland – features a unique view of The Pass in Byron Bay. This artwork is part of Anthony J. Walker's Cavanbah series, sharing the First Nations artist's personal impression of the Country he has lived on for the past thirty years: Arakwal Country, Bundjalung Nation.
The artwork explores Walker's profound connection to the environment, as a former Indigenous Park Ranger. Centered around the theme of "caring for Country", Walker's vibrant paintings invite viewers to consider their own relationship with the land, sea, and waterways.
From Clarkes Beach, the curve of Cavanbah opens across the water toward The Pass - a place shaped by tide and wind. The headlands hold the bay gently, while bands of blue move between shore and horizon, carrying light across the surface.
This sheltered view speaks to rhythm rather than drama. Waves gently arrive, recede, and arrive again, tracing pathways that have long guided movement along the coast. Vegetation in the foreground anchors the scene, reminding us that land and sea are always in relationship - each shaping the other over time.
Seen through this lens, Cavanbah is not a fixed landscape but a living system. The work invites the viewer to linger with that feeling - to bring into their own space a sense of openness, familiarity, and the quiet pull of Country that continues long after the tide has turned.
Original artwork.
Materials: Matisse Acrylic Paint on 15oz Museum-Grade Canvas.
The 4cm deep sides are painted blue.
Artwork is stretched and ready to hang.