Artists
Adelle Chapman Burgess
I enjoy painting for healing, to feel good and to connect to my unique Aboriginal culture. My paintings are merely a new form incorporating the classic elements of Aboriginal Life.
I am an artist who loves to use contemporary colours in my artworks. I love to share my art with friends and family it keeps my spirit strong to see the joy my art brings to them. I use a wide range of modern materials and techniques to create contemporary works of art. I paint about creation, the old people, the inner spirit, my family connections, my life journey and what makes me happy.
Alison Williams
Aboriginal artist Alison Williams is a descendant of the Gumbaynggirr
tribe who lives in the Clarence Valley, NSW, Australia and is
recognised as one of the leading contemporary Indigenous artists on the
North Coast of NSW. Alison has been practising art since she was about 8
years old and professionally for approximately 20 years and produces a
diverse range of fine arts from fibre crafts and sculpture to drawings
and paintings.
“I am a strong advocate for cultural awareness and strive, as a Gumbaynggirr descendant and artist, to share the wisdom and knowledge of my culture. I believe that understanding is the key to acceptance and therefore unity.”
Anthony “TULE” Gordon
Anthony is a traditional song man from the Baygal nation also known as the Bundjalung. His work is inspired by Nuthung-garra (Ancestors) and the higher spirit source known as Nuthung ngali and the butheram (creation times).
His sculptures are unique to the area. They are made from ocean driftwood and Australian timbers.
He is a song man, musician and language speaker. Coming from a respected cultural family , he carries the knowledge of the culture with pride and respect for the elders who have taught him.
Aunty Robin Duroux
Aunty Robyn Duroux is a founding member of Yarrawarra and a Gumbaynggirr elder and artist who re-creates’ traditional stories and cultural values through painting and workshops.
Avril Chapman
Brentyn Lugnan
“I’m standing in a cave, next to the old mob, doing a painting with them. That’s the thrill I get doing my stuff on the walls. It’s an extension of my culture, my spirituality. I still get a thrill every time I walk up and start drawing on a wall.”
Brentyn Lugnan is a Gumbaynggirr artist and Coffs Harbour identity. Originally from Urunga, he returned to the Mid North Coast after living in Sydney’s inner city, where he worked as graphic designer for SBS and an animator at the ABC. Brentyn’s public art appears across the interior of the Westpac building at Barangaroo, in Darling Harbour and throughout the foyer of Coffs Harbour Court House.
Clem Ritchie
Burnt Bridge Mission Exhibition
DOB: 1944
Clem is a Dunghutti man who grew up at burnt Bridge Mission as a child. Clem has a mild intellectual disability who has difficulty in reading, writing and communication.
Through his artwork he engages with the audience in sharing his culture and history.
Clem has been painting since 2009 at a Disability Workshop known as ‘Living Skills’.
Exhibitions
2011
Dunghutti Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery
NAIDOC Exhibition
2012
Naidoc Week Exhibition at Gladstone MV Gallery
Burnt Bridge Exhibition – DNAAG
2013
Exhibiting at DNAAG
Kempsey Shire Art Prize
2014
Burnt Bridge Mission Travelling Exhibition, Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place & Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Dannielle Gorogo
I am a woman of Bundjalung, Gumabyngiirr, Dhungutti and Papuan New Guinea descent. I live in the northern rivers region of New South Wales, close to the country of ancestors on my mother's side. We are the Djanbun (Platypus) clan of the Washpool Forest and Washpool River area. I am a Mother of three, balancing time between maintaining a happy, healthy home and doing my painting.
My artwork is a reflection of my heritage, the country in which I live, my family experiences, beliefs and interests. I like to work with gouache paints on archival paper, but during the last few years I have been experimenting with oils and acrylic on canvas.
My connection to my Father's Papuan family and culture is very important to me and often my childhood memories and stories come alive in the vibrant colours of my artwork. My father was an Agriculturist/Horticulturist born in Milne Bay, the people on his father's side are the Mekeo people from Port Moresby area.
My Mother is an Archaeologist, involved and working in cultural heritage in State Forests in New South Wales. One of my favourite past times is hearing her stories of the places she has to travel to and the people she hast met. Through my Mother's lineage my Goorie (Aboriginal) heritage is one of strong and proud Goorie women belonging to a matrilineal society where your connection to country was passed on from your mother.
Dean Loadsman
My artwork is my own interpretation of Dreaming Stories from the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr Nations. My work is strongly influenced by ‘Berinbah’ (Clarence River), my own personal experiences and the brutal history of colonisation in our country.
Ngali Na Jugun, Ngali Garima Mala Jugun… We belong this Country, we look after this Country…