Eastern long-necked turtle

32 x 17 x 32cm, Raffia, 2023

For me, turtles have always symbolised family- strong, steady and deeply grounded in Country.

I still remember painting my first turtle in 2007 and calling him Sonny. When I showed it to my Great Nan, Dorothy Carroll, she paused- surprised by the name. She began to share stories about growing up with her cousin Sonny on an Aboriginal reserve in Yass, known as Hollywood. It was a place our family was forced to live, on the outskirts of town- it was also a place full of hardship, struggle, kinship and stories. That painting sparked stories of memories I’d never heard before. It's a reminder of how art can open doors to the past and how our Old People carry so much knowledge, waiting to be shared.

This turtle is woven in honour of Nan and all the stories I grew up listening too. It’s a tribute to the threads of family, history, and culture- and the way they’re woven through every generation.