My artwork tells the story of the shared, and not always good, history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. I wanted to acknowledge the bad bits of our past, but also look with hope towards a better shared future. To me, this is what Reconciliation is all about.
I included a silhouette of myself in the artwork and left it white to represent my own non-Indigenous background. Against the Aboriginal flag in the background I think the colour is really symbolic. I then filled the silhouette with words and phrases which showed how I felt and why I thought it was important. I also gave myself a heart and a brain, because without love, dreams and thoughts, words don’t really mean anything.
I think you have to speak and listen with your heart and your mind for your dreams to come true.
Reconciliation means… Reconciliation means acknowledging the past and looking towards a fantastic shared future.