Acrylic on canvas

Signed on the back.

For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, they have no choice but to leave their homes, whether it be seeking health treatments, education or work opportunities.

This is particularly relevant for those who live in regional and remote Australia. In the Torres Strait for example the outter islands don’t have a secondary school and it’s an accepted fact that kids will go away to boarding school on the mainland.

In many remote communities it’s a fact of life that they will travel to major cities and experience lengthy stays away from home to seek treatment.

Many young people accept the burden of leaving their homes in pursuit of an education that might lead to a job that could better financially support their families.

Everyone I’ve spoken to talk about the lingering warmth and comfort they have knowing that what ever road they take, they will always feel tethered to their home and they can always return.

This is also true for the generations of children born away from their countries. The first time visiting their country is magical and it feels as though a puzzle piece clicks into place inside.

As someone who grew up on the mainland, this is how I felt when I visited the Strait for the first time. It was overwhelming but I immediately felt an explosion of warmth and was immediately at ease, as if this home had always been here waiting for me to return.