ABOUT THE ARTIST



THE STORY OF THE ARTWORK 'HEALING COMMUNITY'

Spiritual Healing: Water is a powerful way to heal the mind & overall mental well being. It represents life and connection to country as a known sacred element. I personally feel at ease when near waterways and oceans, It frees my mind and helps me reset. A Community that lives this life are Our Torres Strait Islander Brothers & Sisters.

Indigenous Doctors: Central meeting place representing Our First Nations Doctors. They are positioned facing outward to show they aim to better Our Communities through their Knowledge as modern day healers.

Communities: Traditional Medicines and sources of dietary needs promote better physical health. Leading an active lifestyle and managing unnecessary stress/mental health issues without substance abuse is vital to creating positive role models in Our Communities.

The Messenger: As time progresses, we will have break throughs in Medical developments. It is important that we are up to date with what’s on offer and how we can limit or eliminate health issues. Having the Doctors in Communities raising awareness will have a snowball effect on Our Mob seeking help.

Communities: All aspects of Health are what will promote a nurtured need of lifestyle changes. Having the tools and understanding to overcome health issues are key, which is why an holistic approach is necessary to overcome some health barriers limiting Our life expectancy as Indigenous People. Family & Community support creates a safe environment for those seeking help.

“Health & healing are interwoven, which means one can’t be separated from the other”.

View the artwork story    


WILL (NGARRU) TOWNEY | RUU.THELABEL

I am a proud Wiradjuri man from Gilgandra, NSW, which lays alongside of the banks of the sandy Castlereagh River.

Art has been my escape from depression & feeling down about life’s pressures. It’s my safe place where i can get lost in the moment.

Something unique about myself in which I've known from an early age and have adapted to live with for my entire life is that I'm colour blind. Having adopted this genetically inherited defect from my Irish Grandfather, it has at times been confusing for myself when dealing with colours.Below is a typical Ishihara test plate, part of a diagnostic test used all around the world.

If you see the no.74, then your colour-vision should be normal. If you are pretty colour-blind then you will see the no.21. But if you see absolutely no number, and you're a freaky fulla like me, you're reassuringly as useless as me. 

This condition effects only 8% of men and 0.5% of women worldwide.

It definitely has its downsides, such as stopping me from joining the Royal Australian Airforce to fight for my country. Even though I can see through camouflage and have better night vision then most people. Apparently infrared lights would have been an issue.

BUT even though I'm colour blind, I've worked in the electrical industry for 18 years and haven't made a mistake. Being an artist, I do sometimes have trouble identifying colours. Some greens look grey, but my coping mechanism is to ask a woman... after all they do have less chances of being colour blind! 

I hope you come to appreciate my gift and passion as I share a snippet of my culture with you. 

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Contact Us

Contact the Organisers: AIDA@spinifexevents.com.au

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Gadigal People, the traditional custodians whose lands we will gather on.

We acknowledge and respect the Gadigal People’s cultural, spiritual and physical connection with their land, waterways and community, and pay respect to Elders past and present.