Gulgawarnigu – Thinking of something, someone can be viewed at the National Portrait Gallery from 3 June until 2 October. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery is home to hundreds of intricate works that display and challenge concepts of identity, history and culture.
This June to October, the gallery presents a collection of portraiture digital works created by emerging artists from Ieramagadu (Roebourne) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Gulgawarnigu – Thinking of something, someone is a visual representation and expression of the young artists’ connection to Country and self.
Presented to the public for the very first time, this exhibition is the result of collaboration between the wider Ieramagadu community and social change organisation Big hART, as well as the National Portrait Gallery.
“Big hART works to build up communities and drive change through the making of art,” Big hART’s creative producer Mark Leahy said.
“Big hART was invited to beautiful Ieramagadu 12 years ago by senior women in the community to share positive stories, make art together, build skills and collaborate. We have been there ever since.
“We partnered with the National Portrait Gallery at the end of 2021 and spent 2022 doing virtual workshops from the gallery into the Big hART Digital Lab, building skills and using the gallery’s incredible collection to inspire and draw the interest of local young people.”
The Big hART Digital Lab was established in 2019 and is owned by the young people of the community.
Connected to Big Picture learning outcomes at school, students’ work encourages them to take creative risks and represent visual connections. The lab also builds personal agency, self-entrepreneurship and pre-employment skills.
“These young artists have a real hunger to express themselves and share the strengths about their community, their lives, and their friends, family and relatives,” Mark said.
“Digital art enables them to do that with great continuity and has provided access to equipment, technology and artist mentors who are leaders in their fields.
“Of course, it also leads to incredible outcomes like our collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery.”
As is unfortunately the case in many regional and remote communities, the young people of Ieramagadu don’t often have a voice in the national conversation. Gulgawarnigu – Thinking of something, someone is an opportunity to share their Country, lives, stories and skills.
“They express intricate, layered stories about the whole of community and their lives there – expressions that are fresh, young and vibrant,” Mark said.
“There’s lots of portraiture of identity through self, through Country, and their stories intertwined.”
Yindjibarndi Cultural Leader Michelle Adams with emerging Ngarluma artist Isaac Guiness at the Gulgawarnigu Launch on 2 June. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Sam Walker is an Ieramagadu Culture Leader and mother of Isaac and Kenton Guiness, two young artists involved in the project.
“There are many different language groups that all live in our town. Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Banjima, Mardudhunera Guruma, Innawongga, Kariyarra, Niyaparli… I could go on forever,” she said.
“Roebourne is a beautiful place – the most beautiful thing about it is the connection. Everything that we have, we share. Nothing stays to any one of us.
“Our children have aspirations – they want to be somebody in life. Bringing this kind of opportunity to our small town of Ieramugadu is a small step towards big change.”
Visit the Big hART website for more information about their work in Ieramugadu/Roebourne.
Gulgawarnigu – Thinking of something, someone is at the National Portrait Gallery until 2 October. The gallery is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Entry is free.
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