I have been painting since I was about four. My work is heavily influenced by a connection to Country and explores iconography inherent in my First Nation heritage. I have recently begun painting again after a long absence. I needed time to understand where I was from and how that identity connected me to Country. My journey is ongoing as I am unable to find my true Mob. Intergenerational trauma runs deep in my family and unfortunately for my mother whose blood lines connect me to ancestral spirits, the trauma has sealed memories of the past. Considering this, my desire to paint in no longer constructed or planned. It is controlled by spirit and is now unburdened with considering whether things are right or wrong. It now, just is. I am now happy and free and even though not able to claim my ancestral land yet, the freedom has allowed me to continue to look, without worry.
I am accepted in community and have identified as First nations for over 25 years. That said, I do not paint using traditional storyline iconography or totems as protocols dictate that I don't. Accordingly, I am developing a style that is true to myself and my spirit and as a First Nations man, that is all that counts. If you wish to purchase a somewhat traditional (stereotypical) Australian Aboriginal paintings, then I am not the artist for you.