Country

EDIT: Painting has been altered with extra colour and layers added. SEE LARGE PICTURE (Main Picture).

This 126cm by 188cm Aboriginal painting, framed in Tassie oak, is a tribute to the lands, mobs, and territories across this great southern land. Painted on Kombumeri land of the Yugambeh nation in Queensland, the artwork reflects the artist’s deep cultural connection to the land, from the Boonwurrung mob of the Port Phillip Bay area—his ancestral clan—to the Palawa land of Kanamaluka (Launceston), where he grew up.

Honouring the incredible diversity and spirit of the many Aboriginal nations, this painting captures the sacred territories, languages, and traditions that have thrived in Australia for over 80,000 years. It celebrates the enduring strength of Aboriginal culture and acknowledges the traditional owners of the land, reminding us of the deep connections that continue to shape the identity of our nation.

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Michael Rehardt is a Gold Coast-based Indigenous artist. He likes to work with acrylic on canvas to create large dotted aboriginal paintings that captivate you with colour, imagination and beauty.

His other great artistic love is graphite portraits. This may seem like an unlikely combination, but Michaels acute eye for detail does both so well. Michael resigned from his corporate career in early 2021 to pursue his passion and love of the arts. His days are now spent painting his indigenous stories or recording music as a solo acoustic singer-songwriter.

Michael’s interest in dot painting was inspired by his mother, Leonie Rehardt, an indigenous artist. She taught Michael her unique style, this becoming the platform for his own style. Michael uses culturally-based techniques to create true Dreamtime stories utilising his own experiences and familial history.

Michael was born off country in Launceston, Tasmania and has strong ties to the Palawa people. His ancestral mob is the Boonwurrung River people of the Port Phillip area within the Kulin Nation of South-East Victoria.