About

Wunman njinde (welcome). Thanks for visiting my website! I'm Jiddelek. 

I'm a Gunaikurnai artist currently residing in the city of Naarm (Melbourne), on the lands of the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin nation. The avatar above is an anthropomorphic representation of the green and golden bell frog (litoria aurea), which is native to the south east coast of Australia.

 

This site is part blog and part education where I share my artwork, thoughts, and some knowledge about native plants, animals, and my culture. I hope you'll stick around for a while.

Scroll down to see more or check the social links above.  

'Aboriginal Art' or art by Aboriginal people

As an Indigenous artist, I often worry about representing my culture in art. My tribe, the Gunaikurnai, don't traditionally create dot paintings, but there are symbols, styles and materials (like ochre) that have been used for centuries. While I have explored all of these elements at one point or another, I found myself drawn to digital art and more contemporary styles. 

 

All of my art is Aboriginal art, by nature of being created by an Aboriginal person, but when I think about presenting it as 'Aboriginal Art' I hesitate. When art competitions and awards roll around, my friends and family encourage me to apply. 

I always think about it, but never get around to making something 'worth' submitting. I worry that other mob will think that I'm not representing our culture and I worry that non-Indigenous people will dismiss it as 'not real' Aboriginal art. 

 

Yet, my culture is tied to my identity, my interests and my story; my art is nearly always about our native flora and fauna or is some form of self portraiture. I know this struggle to authentically represent culture is something a lot of mob face, not to mention the commercialisation (even fetishisation) of our art and culture in the form of trinkets or tokens. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't really have a solution. I hope that over time that people learn that our art is always evolving, and that they too can broaden their understanding of what Aboriginal artwork 'looks' like.

Coranderrk (prostanthera lasianthos)

Also known as Victorian Christmas Bush, the coranderrk is a shrub or small tree of the mint family. Native to east of Australia, coranderrk can be found from the lands of the Yugambeh people in South East Queensland, all the way down to Lutruwita (Tasmania).

 

Traditionally used by mob to flavour foods and tea, coranderrk shares it names with a station in Victoria that was home to many displaced Aboriginal people of the Kulin nations. To read about the history of Coranderrk station, check out the Coranderrk website or this page on the National Museum of Australia.