Bangalow artist wins Bundjalung Art Award
Bangalow artist Karla Dickens has won the $2000 open prize in the Bundjalung Art Award, ‘Our Spirit Our Country’, for her work ‘Spirit’.
The annual award is co-hosted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Lismore Regional Gallery.
NPWS Regional Manager Mark Johnston announced winners in four categories on the opening day of the award’s exhibition but the Southern Cross University (SCU) sponsored People’s Choice Award ran for the duration of the exhibition and the public votes weren’t counted until last Friday.
Ms Dickens said of her winning entry: “My country is my spirit. The central point of the painting, the radiating circle, is the Earth emerging with my spirit. The shell waves entering the circle show the force of water. The two seeded forms represent the ancestors. The red, black and yellow flames are fire burning. The red beads are the blood lost.”
The 3D Award of $1000 went again this year to Garth Lena of Fingal for his large wooden sculpture ‘Boogaban’ (Eagle Hawk).
He said: ”Boogaban is one of the creation spirit ancestors from the Bundjalung nation. Long ago in the Dreamtime there was a war between all the creatures of the earth, the sea and the sky. Kawundi (the dolphin) was speared in the top of the head by Boogaban (eagle hawk). In order to push the spear out Kawundi blew a spurt of water from the hole. This is the water which created swamps and lagoons.”
The Collaborative Award of $1000 for artworks created by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists working in collaboration was won by Mark Deamon, Noter Browning and Lyn Vermeesch, also from Fingal, for their painting ‘Wullum’, The Bush.
Joint Youth Award winners were Leilah Jerome of Mt Burrel for her painting ‘Border Range’ and Oral Laurie from Evans Head for his work ‘Spirit Men’.
The SCU People’s Choice prize of $1000 was closely contested, attracting 245 votes and was awarded to Gilbert Laurie for the work entitled ‘Dancing in the Ocean’.
As a special bonus to the exhibition NPWS ran a schools education program as part of NAIDOC celebrations. Five primary schools from around the Lismore, Casino and Coraki areas attended a two-hour session where they met an Aboriginal artist and had a guided tour of the exhibition. The students learned how cultural heritage can be interpreted through art, and the many meanings and stories of the beautiful artwork displayed in the exhibition.
Students were then guided through a canvas painting activity, followed by a session of playing traditional games. The NPWS said the program was a huge success and Discovery co-ordinator Kate Adams would like to thank all of the Aboriginal artists for their support and involvement.
