Art / “Reflections of Country”, “Inherited” and “Ngaghi Murangidyal – My Healing”. At Belconnen Arts Centre until August 20. Reviewed by BARRINA SOUTH.

BELCONNEN Arts Centre is bursting at the seams with Aboriginal cultural expression with three exhibitions by First Nations creatives featuring photographs, paintings, sculptures and artefacts.

The three exhibitions feature the works of Kayannie Denigan whose has connections to the desert and the coast of far-north Queensland honouring her Luritja Nanna and Kuku Yalanji Nanny, Rebekah Lane, a Dhangatti/Birrbay woman and Josh Evans a Wiradjuri man.

Denigan focuses on themes of country, family, distance and connection. What makes the artworks unique is how she has physically incorporated Country into her artworks. Denigan has collected sand from a site known as Coloured Sands near Hope Vale, far-north Queensland and when added, it creates a texture, bringing to life her work. The breadth of the landscape is also achieved through the layering of colour and motifs to show the complexities of Country from a bird’s eye perspective.

This is where the drone photographs work so well in this exhibition. There are several in the show that assist the gallery visitor to see country as Denigan does, from above. The photographs showcase both the tannin-rich waters flowing into the ocean plus the greenery around Isabella Falls, Hope Vale and what Denigan refers to as “other side beach” in Far North Queensland.

Lane’s work focuses on identity and her journey connecting to her Aboriginality. The works reflect how she has, through family connections, come to understand her culture to know exactly who she is.

Not unlike the works of Denigan, Lane has visited Country but in her creative expression describes her work from the perspective of looking up from Country, as opposed to looking down from a bird’s-eye view. This brings another perspective and illustrates that as Aboriginal creatives, each artist is different. But there are similarities drawn between the two female artists in Lane’s artwork “After the Rain 2” where she is influenced by the water, in this case the rain that fills the creeks, cleanses the earth, nurturing the trees and animals. For me the artwork titled “Communities 1” had an impact on me, it reflects the diverse Aboriginal communities that call Canberra and its surrounds home.

Lane uses key landforms such as the Brindabellas to connect all the diverse First Nations people in the area together. I know myself, that when I return from being away when I see the Brindabellas, I feel I am home.

The third exhibition includes the works of Evans and is situated in the Window Gallery and comprises of a collection of artefacts to include message sticks, clap sticks, digging sticks, boomerangs and clubs. Each piece is fashioned from either Boree timber or Redgum.

Not unlike Denigan and Lean, Evans through his artefacts is showing a connection to Country with the inclusion of motifs and symbols connected to Country burnt on some of the artefacts.

As a suite of exhibitions, each artist showcases an unique perspective on connection to Country and that is what is fantastic about what is on show at the Belconnen Art Centre.