A stunning exhibition showcasing First Nations artists and connection to country has arrived in Fyansford
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01.04.2021

A stunning exhibition showcasing First Nations artists and connection to country has arrived in Fyansford

‘Saltwater Healing’ is showing now until May.

In wonderful news for the region, three impressive and extremely talented Indigenous artists are being celebrated in a stunning new art exhibition, ‘Saltwater Healing’.

Showing at the celestial award-winning winery Provenance Wines in Fyansford in partnership with Newtown fine art studio Bells Fine Art, artists Lowell Hunter and sisters Tarryn and Kelsey Love have collaborated together to creatively showcase the diversity and richness of our First Nations culture.

The immersive journey explores the narrative and stories of the artists and their connections to saltwater, culture and Country; all generously shared through their multi-disciplinary artwork.
Lowell Hunter, a proud Nyul Nyul and Bardi man who grew up on Gunditjmara country in Warrnambool by the ocean, is a local sand artist who carves inspiring formations into the sand using just his feet and elements of traditional dance, before photographing them with a drone.

“My artwork is an expression and sharing of culture, the stories of family, my identity as a Saltwater Man and connection to Country,” he explains.

“I create my artwork along the surf coast to nurture my connection to the ocean and to create a space for learning, sharing and healing. Creating my work involves slowing down my mind, body and spirit. I create my sand art using similar movements as I do in Traditional Dance.

“I involve my children in the creative process, to pass on these powerful stories and to learn about our Culture so they can become empowered and strong in their identity as First Nation’s young people,” says Lowell.

Check out more art news via our website.

Sisters, Tarryn and Kelsey Love, bring their own individual interpretations to the exhibition, a non-linear journey through culture, where time and space is freely shared to honour place and Country.

Tarryn Love, a proud Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong, creates from an archive of knowledge that honours First Nation people’s connection to place.

“First Nation peoples are the original storytellers and the original archivists of our knowledge. The songs of country began and continue in the voices of its custodians,” Tarryn says.
“My responsibility is to access, engage, interpret, add and protect the stories of my culture and express them through my art. It is within these actions that keep the songs alive.”
Kelsey Love, also a strong Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong woman, draws upon her connection to water and rivers, and the ecosystems that rely on these environments as a major inspiration for her work.

“I use the lines in my work to represent the direction, current, flow and movement of water to express how everchanging and evolving it is. I see it as a metaphor for our own continuous learning, our appreciation for Country, Culture and respect for our First Nations people as an infinite and evolving process,” says Kelsey.

With artworks displayed throughout the gallery, the exhibition reflects deep meaning and a sensitive connection to place and Country, giving guests an intimate and impressive insight into the respect and honour these artists give back to our ancient First Nations culture.

“As a curator of artwork, I see this work as an extremely important learning opportunity for us all, where art gives us a platform for communicating Indigenous content and for creating respectful and genuine opportunities for greater understanding of our First Nations people,” explains Belinda White, Studio Director of Bells Fine Art.

The Saltwater Healing exhibition is now showing at Provenance Wines in Fyansford, Victoria and runs until 16 May 2021.