Partnering with remote Indigenous Art Centres to deliver a landmark digital project that empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to create and share unique arts and cultural experiences with the world.
Partnering with remote Indigenous Art Centres to deliver a landmark digital project that empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to create and share unique arts and cultural experiences with the world.
Hayden Jinjair Wilson is a Tyemirri artist from Peppimenarti, his languages are Ngangi’Kurungurr & Murrinh-Patha. Ngangi’Kurungurr (Ngangi’Tyemirri) is the language of the Peppimenarti area and Murrinh-Patha is the main language spoken through most of the West Daly Region originating from his Grandmother’s country of Ngudaniman (Fossil Head) and surrounding areas. Hayden grew up around a family of artists including his Grandmothers Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Annunciata Thinhi Dartinga & his Mum Grace Dodson.
His first solo came about through a conversation with Belinda from Aboriginal Bush Traders which happened while Hayden was working the Tarnanthi Art fair in Adelaide. There Hayden explored and exchanged ideas on a theme and design for the exhibition which ultimately led to him choosing his signature ‘Kura Lalingkin Wuywuyngka’ (Muddy Sea) design which is a story that has been passed down through generations in his family for people in the tribe to know when the best time to hunt and fish on the saltwater country of Ngudaniman also known in English as Fossil Head, Ngudaniman is situated on the coast of the Thamarrurr region and is 20-40 minutes from the nearest community of Wadeye.
As an emerging artist Hayden was “excited and grateful” to showcase his works to expand on his audience and share his Grandmother’s story with more people, each painting took up Hayden’s free time and he’d paint sometimes into the morning losing focus of the time because he was in his creative state. Working on the amount of paintings that he did was a challenge as it was his first time having a set date to finish a set amount of works, which he found difficult at times but persevered for a feel of accomplishment, relief and excitement.
Hayden’s designs come from his old people, his grandmother and her siblings and his ancestors. His designs depict Murrinh Patha hunting and fishing knowledge, people from his clan have been using this knowledge to hunt since the beginning. Hayden’s Kura Lalingkin Wuywuyngka design is of the muddy water (sea), his Ku Malanan design is of the sand bubbler crabs whose sand patterns can be seen on beaches with the hole they burrow in at the very centre and his Wulthirri design is of his grandmother’s song and dance group. From around the time Hayden started school as a child, his mum (who is another artist who’s inspired his works) taught him the importance of listening and learning from his old people and also the importance of sharing this knowledge to the right people in his own way, which he found through art. Hayden learnt from Grace that with the time he has left with his old people he needs to really hear and take in what they have to teach and not to take time for granted.
When he paints he feels at peace and that every time he retells these stories all of Hayden’s old people are around him. By continuing with this ancient way of story telling Hayden reminisces his childhood where he would sit at night around the campfire and listen to all these stories being told to him for the first time.
UPLANDS is an immersive digital project that has been designed to celebrate Indigenous Art Centres and share Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artistic and cultural practices with the world.
This large scale immersive digital mapping project features over twenty remote Indigenous Art Centres, and interviews with over 150 Indigenous artists and arts workers from across the country.
UPLANDS is a project by Agency and has been funded by the Australian Government through the Restart to Invest, Sustain and Expand (RISE) program and the Indigenous Visual Art Industry Support (IVAIS) program.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Sovereign Custodians of the land on which we live and work. We extend our respects to their Ancestors and all First Nations peoples and Elders past, present, and future.