Unknown Soldiers. This series of paintings of Aboriginal soldiers is based on research I’ve done that really started when I first visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in 2017.
The stories of Aboriginal men who volunteered their services for the first world war really stuck with me.
These were men who went overseas and fought and died protecting our country, even though they weren’t treated with dignity and respect in Australia at the time.
I’ve painted on army surplus material, the same stuff that they make soldiers uniforms from.
I was making a connection between the camouflage material and the way that the Aboriginal soldiers’ stories seem hidden. With this project, I’m trying to bring these unknown soldiers’ stories to forefront.
