Art on Display and for Sale

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NAIDOC WEEK 2015

ART SHOW

St John of God Hospital

Artist Profile

Kerrie is a Butchulla (Badjtala) woman from the peoples of the Maryborough and Tiaro area in QLD where many of her family still live. Her people are the traditional owners and Kerrie expresses the strong ties to the Mary River, the bush and K’gari (Fraser Island) through her painting.

She has a background in healthcare as an Occupational Therapist and still finds time for some art therapy sessions with clients. “As a clinical OT, I always loved my expressive art sessions with patients and I truly believe art making helps people overcome the difficulties of hospitalization, or impact of illness and cope with major treatment programs for e.g. with cancer or dialysis and I want to do a lot more yet in dementia care and bereavement….”

She has been painting for just a few short years.

 “Painting with acrylic on canvas is part of my life now, an expression of my love for nature, my identity, my healing and cultural heritage.”

Her paintings are often of a symbolic and spiritual nature and capture her life   happenings, relationships and culture. “My indigenous style was not learned or planned, it just happened and I feel this flowing through me from my father’s family and our collective dreaming.”

Kerrie has talked about being drawn to walk in the bush and her wish to honour the wonderful land, water and bird animals where she lives and from her childhood.

“Even though I only started to paint at the age of 50, I have always loved looking at all types of art works; in part for the beauty but also for that sense of connection. The act of painting is giving and receiving at the same time and a sense of being one is a really special feeling”.

Kerrie is the Regional manager of Monash University School of Rural health in Bendigo, Indigenous Mentor to the medical students on clinical placement in Bendigo and a member of Indigenous Allied Health Professionals http://iaha.com.au