Many Moods is an exploration of Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island through the lived experiences of five local artists.

The collective of artists show, through their individual and collective lenses, the moods of the Island through photography, woven sculptures, woven mats, baskets and gathered seeds.

Artist, Anaheke Metua told The Westender that there is a growing community of artists on Stradbroke Island, and through the Island Arts Collective (IAC) they are supporting each other as artists and developing their own model for a business partnership. They want to find a way to have something really unique by having a collective of art forms.

The five women who make up the Island Arts Collective (IAC) were good friends before they formed the collective.

The exhibition explores Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island through the lived experiences of five local artists: Julie Sisco, Anaheke Metua, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, Amber Vicum and Paula Boo.

“Living on an island is a very different way to live, and we are trying to capture that,” Anaheke said.

The artists formed the collective in late June when they were presented with an opportunity to take on a retail space as a pop-up shop. For over 4 months, the IAC provided island-based art and workshops to local and tourist markets and were warmly received by all who entered the space. During this time, the artists had the opportunity of working together and had many discussions about future projects as a collective. ‘Many Moods’ is a continuation of the journey of the Island Arts Collective.

The IAC is a mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artist.

“Art is a language that we all share and is a way of telling stories which is universal. Indigenous people today have a connection with their stories that is intact, through the land and the observations of their ancestors, and the continuing practices on the land enables those stories to be accessible”.

“Those who may not have that cultural connection,” Anaheke said, “can have their own environmental connection to their place and are able to tell their stories through art”.

Julie Sisco challenges the idea that Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island is only turquoise waters and white sandy beaches through her selection of images that evoke feelings of the unknown and a gentleness through the subtle hues of greys, powder blues and sage.

Anaheke Metua’s works in ‘Many Moods’ speak to the observations and daily rhythms of the night sky, seasonal sand migrations and the fruiting and flowering patterns of the Bangalow Palm on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island.

Recurring themes across Delvene Cockatoo-Collins work is the relationship to her great-great grandmother, through a body of work, titled Six Generations, traditional mat making techniques, and the use of clays and pigments found across Quandamooka, including the islands and mainland around Moreton Bay. Delvene brings these recurring themes to ‘Many Moods’ in the form of a large woven Yungair mat, a set of ceramic tiles with local pigments and a ‘Woven to Our Ancestors’ wall sculpture.

Amber Vicum’s work is continually evolving on her journey as an artist and a mother and speaks of her love of the Island. Amber contributes large seed creations to ‘Many Moods’ that include the gathered seeds that travel with the seas to the shores of Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island.

Paula Boo’s work speaks of her inspiration from, her deep appreciation for, and her love of Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island and its natural beauty. Her contribution to ‘Many Moods’ reflects Paula’s 27-year connection to Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island, her ancestors and her love of the natural environment.

Minjerribah they say, is more than what is seen in the magazines, the visitor guides and weekender TV shows. It is gentle, it is wild, it is welcoming, it is connectedness, it is family. It is Quandamooka Country.

Exhibition dates

19 November – 30 November 2019

See details here: http://wag.com.au/

Featured image supplied: Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, Anaheke Metua, Julie Sisco, Amber Vicum and Paula Boo

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