Congratulations to Dylan Sarra whose installation artwork 'Gulmari Shields (Burnt Series)' has been acquired by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The Shield series speaks to the erasure of violent acts during the expansion of colonial settlement across the state of Queensland in the late 1800’s, when truth was often burnt and buried to protect colonial interests.
The installation comprises 13 hand carved natural timber shields, painted with designs of natural ochre sourced from Country, and specifically the location where this story takes place.
The shields are marked with a gradual burn that spreads and overtakes their surfaces. Some surfaces are marked and struck with weaponry and lead balls matching the size of the original colonial bullets.
They are battle worn and burnt but not gone. They reflect a story of resistance that some tried to erase but could not.
Dylan Sarra is a Taribelang/Gooreng Gooreng artist from the Bundaberg region and currently lives in Brisbane (Meanjin).
His artistic journey is deeply entwined with the transformative power of Indigenous art and how it contributes to written language.
It is Sarra’s aim that people can not only be intrigued by indigenous culture, but also start to appreciate the role we all play in acknowledging First Nations people.
To view more by Dylan Sarra - please click here.