JACKO Winner of the Koorie Art Show 12 Peoples Choice Award

Western photographers would regularly portray Aboriginal people as savages and force subjects to engage in pantomime like displays of savageness. The original photograph was taken by Thomas Bevan in the 1860’s and despite being brought to a position where he needed (or was forced) to pose, it is impossible to ignore the strength within this man as he is forced to leave his traditional way of life and have western culture imposed upon him - I use smoke in my works to represent the fragile and diminishing nature of traditional knowledge. The red ink represents the blood of the nameless First Nations people captured in photos and black ink the sorrow that these people must feel as their world comes to an end.

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Originally born and raised in Geelong, I have lived along the east coast of Australia and now reside in Melbourne (Bunurong Country) with my family since 2005. I am a Bundjalung descendant and my works focus on Indigenous themes and the place of Indigenous people within modern Australia.

I started working with charcoal as a form of therapy and enjoy experimenting with the medium, the natural feel of the material and the play of light and shadow. I regularly incorporate pastels, smoke, inks and other materials - with no formal art training, my work constantly evolves as I discover new techniques, skills and look to push the use of simple mediums.