My Artwork ‘Two Halves of a Whole’ is about no matter how different we look or act we are all only human. It is about no matter where we come from or what our background is, we shouldn’t be treated differently. This artwork relates to reconciliation by recognising each girl’s differences but choosing to accept them no matter the consequences. This connects to the theme because by recognising and putting aside differences we can all live together in peace. The beauty of the sky is that it is infinite and that there are infinite possibilities and combinations to be found. The starry sky and the daylight sky symbolize the difference of cultures and arbitrary treatment of the cultures in our country. The solid black crack between the two skies can be interpreted as the prejudice inflicted from one culture to the other and how that has separated us from what could have been.
Reconciliation means…
Before white settlers came to Australia, Aboriginal people cultivated the land in a sustainable way to be one with nature and never take more than what was needed. When the First Fleets saw this, their greed took over them, and instead of sustaining the culture, they destroyed it and said that the land was rightfully
theirs. Reconciliation is about acknowledging what happened in the past and saying sorry to the Aboriginal people for all the hurt we and the government have caused in the past.
Artist: Isabella Gray
Year 9
Many of these resources and activities have been developed in consultation with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to ensure that the program meets NSW curriculum outcomes for Stages 3, 4 & 5.
Reconciliation NSW aims to create a reconciled, just and equitable community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. We work to inform, support and inspire people to engage in reconciliation.
E: schools@reconciliationnsw.org.au
T: 02 8095 9600
Ground Floor 27 Cope St Redfern 2016
