Artist name:

Ash Smith

Artist Language Group:

Language: Yiiji from Munumburru People near Wyndham

Language: Bunuba near Fitzroy River.

Artist ties to our community:

I have family here in Kalgoorlie. In the early 1990s I used to play football for Railways and a handful of pre-season games for Boulder, but moved away from Kalgoorlie for a little while. I eventually came back and I’ve got to say I like the place and I have lived here for about 30 years.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Since I was a young child, I have been exposed to art, because I grew up in Papunya Tula in the Northern Territory and my Mum was Pansy Napangardi who was a major painter in the Papunya Tula art movement in the 1970s. Mum gave me permission to paint in relation to cultural protocols and I started off doing dot paintings. Mum was an internationally acclaimed artist and she was often away overseas, touring with exhibitions.

In 2001, I did my first solo exhibition in Sydney at the Hogarth Gallery, and in 2002-2003 I went to Curtin University and did an Associate Degree in Aboriginal Art. While I was at Curtin, I developed my own technique. It is a unique style.

In 2006, I went to Charleville, Paris, France – doing a series of art workshops promoting Fremantle as the place to hold the World Puppet Festival in 2009. I did interactive workshops such as working with bark and acrylics. I like working with diverse materials and I once held a series of interactive workshops doing a mural on sheet metal, and another interesting workshop involved solar printing. I have done a lot of community workshops, working with youth in schools both primary and secondary, creating murals at schools, art therapy and I have done murals for a couple of different agencies in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

I am very experienced in running workshops.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

I am creating a mural on A grade marine ply panels. The mural will be based on my travel lines and at each meeting place, a large dot will represent community stories told through artwork. The panels will be strategically placed on a wall to create an overall mural that reflects the community of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. In creating this I will run community art workshops for people wanting to have their artworks in the Kal City Centre Project.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

My inspiration is based on my life journeys and what I see on Country. I am drawing travel lines and punctuating the travel lines are dots that are representative of community. Working with community is my inspiration. And the likes and aspirations of the community of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will be shown within the dots. Each dot will tell a community story. So, it will be a number of artworks in dots, on panels, linked by travel lines. Once the panels are put together it will be one large artwork, created by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community. It will morph into what it is going to be. This is important because it brings community together. It is a melting pot and identifies who we are as a community in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. It’s all about community telling their story. What is it about Kalgoorlie that you find interesting, what is your history and what does it mean to you being here. The artwork allows community to tell their story and understand that we are all connected in one way or another. And that is what I find inspirational – creating a pathway for community to participate in the mural.

Artist name:

Kgukgi Catherine Noble

Artist Language Group:

Wongutha

Artist ties to our community:

Catherine has strong ties to the community through family and cultural connections. She holds many Creation Stories which have been passed down to her from family. Catherine’s knowledge of Country stems from her cultural heritage. She spends her time walking on Country, listening to cultural stories, collecting food and sourcing ochres, earth and charcoal for her artwork.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Catherine sources her colours from nature, including ground ochres, earth and charcoal, and displays a sophisticated use of space and intricate brushwork that shows her deep connection to Country and ancestors. Catherine is an award-winning artist and her works can be seen in buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, such as the Court House and the Hospital. Catherine has exhibited at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize, The Alternative Archives: Nganana Exhibition where her work was selected to exhibit at the John Curtin Gallery in Perth. Catherine was a part of the Heartwalk Mural project, and one of her murals can be seen at the entry way into Coles. Currently she has a piece of art touring with the Art on the Move WA Tour.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Mural.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Inspiration for my design is my deep connection to country and ancestors.

Artist name:

Charmaine Champion

Artist Language Group:

Kaalymia Gubrun and Whadjak

Artist ties to our community:

I have ties to our community through my family and my connection to Country.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Charmaine was awarded the Central Regional TAFE, BHP Billiton – Nickel West, Aboriginal Student of the Year after achieving her goal of becoming a qualified beauty therapist by completing a Certificate III in Beauty Services.

Currently, Charmaine is in her final year at Curtin University, studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science, Management and Community Development, Indigenous Professional Practices. She works 3 days a week and started doing art as a hobby. Charmaine has sold her work and decided to enter the Golden Mile Art Prize 2022 and to her surprise won First Prize in the Painting Category. Charmaine put in an application to do art for Kal City Centre, which was accepted, and this would have to be her arts career highlight.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Perforated steel screen on the stage area.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

The artwork is the Butterfly Dreaming.

Artist name:

Craig Stokes

Artist Language Group:

Wongutha from Kalgoorlie and Nunga from South Australia

Artist ties to our community:

Craig was born and raised in Kalgoorlie and in the Northern Goldfields. Craig said, “Dad taught me a lot of things about Country. How to read the land, because the land can tell you where food sources are. It was all about how to survive in the bush. How to identify where water is. How to identify animal tracks and how to track goanna, all sorts of bush foods, like identifying the right tree to dig for honey ants. Now that I am an adult, I use these skills as I still live off the land. I am strongly connected to our community through family and cultural practices.”

Artist talent and career highlights:

Craig is learning his carving and cultural pattern design skills from Nyingurta and her family. He feels honoured and privileged to work under their guidance as they are very well known in The Lands, Western Desert and Kalgoorlie for their punu (wood) carving. He sits down around a fire with Nyingurta, her father, Mr West and other family members learning the trade – carving boomerangs, spears and other punu (wood) artefacts. He uses wire to burn cultural patterns onto the wirra (carrying bowl). His carvings are for sale at Bush Blossom Gallery and they sell to people from all around the world. He is currently learning the art of dot painting.

Craig also acts as an interpreter for Nyingurta.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Craig will be working with Nyingurta carving and burning yilba (goanna), and tjirilya (echidna). The punu (wood) carvings will be situated in the children’s playground.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Craig’s inspiration for his artwork is his cultural practices that he was taught since childhood. He said, “it is something that I want to do. I want to see good things come out of it. I want to be able to stand back and look at it and see children playing on my punu (wood) sculptures and learning from my Wongutha culture. And then I can see that my work is good. A good result.”

Artist name:

Debbie Carmody

Artist Language Group:

Pitjantjatjara and Wudjari Nyungar

Artist ties to our community:

I am Anangu, Spinifex (Great Victorian Desert) and traditional owner for Upurli Upurli Nguratja (Cundelee) and Kepa Kurl (Esperance). My connection to our community is through Country – Song/Travel Lines, and Family.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Public Art

2021 Corten Steel Panel Designs for the Joe Lord Core Library, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Kalgoorlie.

2016 Gateway WA: Perth Airport and Freight Access Project. Collaboration – large scale artworks sketched into the landscape.

2013 Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Acrylic on Canvas installed at the Kalgoorlie Court House.

2012 WA Public Health. Acrylic on Canvas installed at the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital and interpreted into vinyl floorboards and the front of hospital sculptures.

2010 Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority. Collaboration with Arif Satar and Audrey Fernandes-Satar to create a panel of steel engraved designs for the Prospector Train, Kalgoorlie Dock.

Exhibitions

2022 Selected for the Art on the Move WA Tour. Photograph: Power and the Passion.

2021 John Curtin Gallery, Perth. Photograph: Power and the Passion.

2020 Goldfields Art Centre, Our People’s Collection: Highlights Exhibition by City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Acrylic on Canvas.

2019 The Alternative Archives: Nganana Exhibition, Kalgoorlie. Photograph: Power and the Passion.

2017 The Goldfields Art Centre, Kalgoorlie. Solo Exhibition of works inspired by Andy Warhol.

2012 The National Trust of Australia (WA) Heritage Exhibition. Acrylic on Canvas. Sandalwood.

From 2009 to 2015 I exhibited at the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Annual Art Exhibition and in each year won Best Artwork in the Indigenous Section.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Three sculptures:

• Karlkurla Songline
• Wirra (Carrying Bowl)
• Honey Ant

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Being on Country with Family – walking and camping – collecting karlkurla, digging for honey ants and Mum used her wirra (carrying bowel) to hold the food. We would break off flowers and put them into the wirra as well. Being in the bush is peaceful for me, walking, learning, gathering. The fire would be burning, the tea boiling and a nice hot damper. I used to like napping under a gum tree on really hot days and as I drifted off to sleep, I would hear background talking and laughter.

Artist name:

Doreen Champion

Artist Language Group:

Whadjak (Kwinana) and has been living and working in the Goldfields for many years

Artist ties to our community:

Doreen has married into a local family. And says, “while my cultural connection to Country is in the south, I still feel a connection here because all First Nation cultures have a strong connection to land and it doesn’t matter where we travel, we know about connection to Country and the importance of that connection. It is something we are born with – we just know.”

Artist talent and career highlights:

Being included in the Kal City Centre is a career highlight.

I exhibited at NAIDOC 2022 and I have sold a few pieces of art.

I co-ordinate a community art and craft program with ladies from all over the Goldfields participating. The ladies create their work and then it hangs at Bush Blossom Gallery or Black Crow. We do acrylic on canvas, beading – necklaces and earrings. We have also done clay work, basket weaving and we sew calico material to make bags and then we paint the bags. The work that we produce is beautiful and our products sell.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

My art design will be going onto a perforated steel screen.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

When I was young, we would go out the bush near Pinjarra and Murray River, walking through bush, swimming and my father and uncle would tell me Dreamtime Stories about the Wagyl. All those stories are handed down, and its like the stories are in your blood. It just feels natural, like you were born that way knowing your culture and your links to Country and family. Doreen says, “You’re born with that culture inside you. It’s always there. It is always with us.”

Artist name:

Edie Ulrich

Artist Language Group:

Tjupan

Artist ties to our community:

Family connects me to community. We have strong family values. Our family system is an extended family structure and it connects us to Country – the land in which we have strong ties to because of our social and cultural responsibilities. Our relationship with traditional country remains unbroken and because we grew up in the bush and because of that we have kept our language alive which links us to our community and country.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Edie’s artwork adorns buildings around Kalgoorlie- Boulder, and she was a key contributor to the nationally acclaimed Kalgoorlie Arts Trail, Heartwalk. Edie’s work is painted in both contemporary and traditional desert styles.

Her work can be seen in the sensory garden in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Edie has exhibited at the WA Museum in 2022 which celebrated UNESCO’s Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Edie has also exhibited at the WA Museum Kalgoorlie and worked with schools sharing knowledge of plants, animals, personal stories, language and cultural experiences.

Her artwork features at Coles, Kalgoorlie.

And her art and language featured in a Martine Perret multimedia artwork in Paris in 2019.

Edie exhibited at Revealed 2020, New and Emerging WA Indigenous Artworks.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Mural.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Going out bush is a cultural and social tradition that we have done for generations. It is very inspirational to draw on our cultural knowledge and create beautiful artworks based on that. Going out bush is something that the whole family does. We like to swim at waterholes and creeks and look for bush foods or go hunting. We light a campfire and sit around it eating and talking – just spending time together out on Country. It is peaceful and reinvigorates your soul.

Artist name:

Gavin Murray

Artist Language Group:

Ngaanyatjarra, Anangu, and Wongi

Artist ties to our community:

Gavin is a Wongi, Anangu, Noongar and Yamatji man and a direct descendent to the Yila people in Cosmo Newberry. For most of his life, Gavin has lived in the Northern Goldfields and has strong traditional connections to Kalgoorlie-Boulder through the Land and Family.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Gavin’s work within education in Kalgoorlie-Boulder needs to be commended. Through his art, carvings, playing the Yidaki (didgeridoo), cultural workshops, and cultural competency workshops – he teaches students the skills to build respectful relationships, creating a safe, equal and inclusive school culture for students and staff. He uses cultural stories to demonstrate appropriate and respectful behaviours. His vibrant use of colour has completely transformed the O’Connor Primary School playground, creating a Wanampi (rainbow serpent).

His artwork appears on the Central Regional TAFE, Kalgoorlie Campus building. He has added his unique designs to refurbished benches which were supplied by the Men’s Shed. Gavin is constantly in demand by community agencies and organisations, such as performing with the Yidaki (didgeridoo) at the 75^th Anniversary of the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society. Gavin exhibits his work at the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Prize and his acrylic on canvas art works sell all around the State.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Perforated screen on the stage area.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

I grew up living on Country and walking on Country. As we walked my dad and grandfather told me Tjukurlpa Stories. I come from a long line of storytellers and artists. My dad was a good artist. When you grow up with culture it inspires me to tell my stories – stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. My inspiration also comes from the colours of the land. Green for the Western Woodlands, red for the desert sands, and I use blue to represent Kalgoorlie as the main meeting place for all peoples. Gavin says, “Culture never dies if we keep telling our stories and painting.”

Artist name:

James Schultz

Artist Language Group:

Ngadju and Wudjari Nyungar

Artist ties to our community:

James is Ngadju and Wudjari Nyungar. James has strong cultural traditions and family connections to his land. James and his family are often out walking on Country, visiting and cleaning sites, collecting bushfoods to be used as foods and medicinal purposes. He teaches his children and other young people within the community culture while out on Country, and likes to sit around the campfire cooking food for family.

Artist talent and career highlights:

James is the Manager behind the Ngadju Dancers, and they have performed all around Australia, including the Sydney Opera House. In 2012 the dance group performed at the London Olympics. They have even performed in India and held a dance class and spear throwing lesson at Loopline Park in Boulder. James is also an artist and in Kalgoorlie his artwork, in partnership with Valma Schultz can be seen on the Heartwalk Trail. His work has sold and this project, Kal City Centre is the highlight of his career.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Sculpture of emu nesting with eggs.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

James’s inspiration for his design comes from growing up on Country and learning Creation Stories from his parents and other Elders. He is particularly inspired by the male emu. Once the female emu lays the eggs, the male takes over the incubation duties. He sits continuously on the nest for around 48 to 56 days until they are hatched. Then he will raise the young between 5 and 18 months until they are independent.

Artist name:

Jason Dimer and Family

Artist Language Group:

Wongutha, Ngadju and Mirning

Artist ties to our community:

Jason was taught by his father and extended family, with his art work reflecting cultural ties to the land and stories of his family’s journey.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Jason is an internationally recognised artist who specialises in narrative and figurative contemporary dot paintings. His work features images and themes of bush tucker, hunting/gathering, dancing, celebration and the Dreamtime. His work has sold internationally, nationally and locally. He is an award-winning artist, and has exhibited at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art Awards.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Mural.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Jason’s design includes an eagle and the moon. Jason said, “The eagle is my totem and as with our Dreamtime Stories we have a spiritual connection with the moon. These stories have been told to me by my father when I was young. Like our stories, we come out of the Dreaming and we go back there. We are connected to everything and because of that our connection is one.”

Artist name:

Kim Gent

Artist Language Group:

English

Artist ties to our community:

Kim is mostly known as ‘Chunky’ in the community. He has become quite an iconic character since starting his Chunky Timber Company in 2001. Chunky is connected to our community through family and his business, but he also has a connection through the land because of his love for all things timber. Chunky is very knowledgeable about the timber that grows in our region and he can tell you exactly where each piece of timber comes from. His timber creations are a reflection of the Goldfields landscape.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Kim crafts discarded timber into stunning unique furniture and unique timber craft pieces. All handcrafted items are made from recycled timbers found in the Goldfields and surrounding areas of Western Australia. He specialises in timber beads and the beads come in random sizes and shapes because of the nature of the local timbers and the harshness of the environment they are grown in. The more common timbers used at Chunky are mulga, pixie bush, gimlet, boree, jarrah, sandalwood, gidgee and the Goldfields blackbutt. Kim owns Chunky Timber Company a very successful company and runs workshops on a daily basis and kid’s programs through the school holidays. Kim features in the Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation’s music video, Ma Goola with Mathias Duplessy and the Violins of the World along with local group, The Brownley Gospel Singers which received close to a million viewers on internet music platforms.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Creating wood sculptures for the playground from artist designs.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Chunky is passionate about wood and loves to create beautiful hand-crafted wood items.

Artist name:

Nyingurta Jessie West

Artist Language Group:

Ngaanyatjarra

Artist ties to our community:

Nyingurta is linked to our community through social, cultural, traditional practices, and family. Nyingurta lives in Kalgoorlie. Her connection to Kalgoorlie and our regional footprint is generational and her connection to Country is also based on the traditional skills of making and carving punu (wood) as children’s toys, walka (wood) boards – where stories are carved into wood, and tools for hunting and collecting foods.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Nyingurta is well known for punu (wood) bush animals, walka (wood) boards where she burns patterns into the wood. In fact, she comes from a family, the West Family who are known for their wood making works. Being a trade that has been passed down from generation to generation, Nyingurta is meticulous about the details, which is a skill and mindset that is important and necessary for any person who wants to be successful in wood carving. The care taken results in beautifully carved objects. Obviously, the timber is ethically sourced and is of the highest standard and quality. Nyingurta sells her works through Bush Blossom Gallery and quite often her beautiful designed punu carvings are sold internationally.

In 2022, Nyingurta was part of the Victoria Park Centre for the Arts, NAIDOC Art Exhibition.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Jessie is carving and burning yilba (goanna). The goanna will be approximately 3 metres long. She is also carving tjirilya (echidna) which will be approximately 2 metres long. Both carvings will sit approximately 40 centimetres off the ground. The carvings will be situated in the children’s playground.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Nyingurta is inspired by her parents who passed traditional skills of creating, carving and designing punu. Especially punu (wood) tjitji (children) – children’s toys, which are a part of children’s play toys. In all cultures play time is an essential part of human life and it is healthy for children’s development, assisting them to acquire physical, social, and cognitive skills. The carved toys are also used to teach children how to identify animals. In creating larger pieces for the Kal City Centre Children’s playground, Nyingurta wants to share her cultural toys so that children can play on her punu (wood) designs that are thousands of years old and appreciate the beauty of intricately carved Ngaanyatjarra toys purposely designed for this project.

Nyingurta is inspired by her childhood, and wants to share that with the wider community.

Artist name:

Regina Donaldson

Artist Language Group:

Maduwongga, Wongutha, Ngadju, Galagu, Malpa

Artist ties to our community:

Regina Donaldson is an established artist working in the Goldfields. She is a direct descendant of the Traditional Owners and Custodians for the area including Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Regina is the Custodian of several Creation Stories in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area from her grandmother and ancestors, including the Karlkurla Creation Story of how the Karlkurla (silky pear) was created. Regina’s art has been selected in several projects and events as a Traditional Custodian and talented artist in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Workshops for WA Tourism Conference May 2023.

NAIDOC 2021 artist at the Victoria Park Arts Centre, representing the Goldfields.

Kalgoorlie Hospital – street billboard, floor and wall art and designs in sculptures.

Acknowledgement of country artwork for Welcome plaques at 4 Wizard Pharmacies in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Two artworks featuring in scenes of the TV series, Mystery Road Origin.

Undertakes many workshops and painting programmes at schools, YMCA, organisations including CKB Reconciliation workshops for city staff, seniors and youth.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Mural.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Regina’s inspiration for her designs come from the stories that she grew up with. Regina grew up in Leonora and as a child used to spend time walking through the bush with family. Regina said, “We would go out all day and gather karlkurla and other bush foods, and come home when the sun was setting.”

Regina’s mural is about the Seven Sisters, family gatherings and community healing.

Artist name:

Tim Neeson

Artist Language Group:

English

Artist ties to our community:

Tim and his family have lived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder for almost 20 years. When he arrived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Tim was employed within the mining industry and became actively involved in art and culture. He has sat on a number of community committees, and currently sits on the Artgold Committee. He is involved in a local innovation and start-up eco-system group, and IT.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Art, culture and IT requires imagination and problem solving. Tim considers electric unicycle riding a career highlight. He became interested in electric unicycle riding because of his strong passion towards the environment. Personal electric vehicles almost produce no pollution and Tim believes mining companies or the state government should be subsidizing electric unicycles. They are very cheap to run, about five dollars a week. Tim can be seen riding the streets of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the electric unicycle also takes him off road. Off road he has complete freedom. It is quiet, thrilling, and he faces endless challenges when he rides. The torque of the machine is continuous – all the way through to acceleration. It is always powered and you regenerate the machine as you brake. Surfacing around the bush on electronics is extremely good for mental health well-being.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Tim is creating QR Codes for artwork. You can point your phone camera at a QR Code and allow it to take you into another world, where you can find more information about the artist. You can journey into the artists website or go into the CKB website.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Mixing technology with art and culture.

Artist name:

Tina Carmody - Elliott

Artist Language Group:

Pitjantjatjara and Wudjuri Nyungar

Artist ties to our community:

I am Anangu, Spinifex (Great Victorian Desert) and traditional owner for Upurli Upurli Nguratja (Cundelee) and Kepa Kurl (Esperance). My connection to our community is through Country – Song/Travel Lines and Family.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Tina has a saying to describe herself: “I was born with a treble clef in one hand and a paint brush in my other.” Raised in an artistic household in performing and visual arts, Tina is a classically trained musician who plays the piano and violin, and she began painting at a very young age. Over the years Tina has developed her own unique methods which include wood burning and resin. She incorporates traditional designs using modern mediums. Tina is an award-winning artist and has won the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Art prize twice. She has exhibited in a number of exhibitions, including John Curtin Gallery and currently has an artwork touring the State in the Alternative Archives Exhibition. Tina was recently chosen to exhibit an artwork at the John Curtin Gallery for the Closed Borders Exhibition.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Sculpture.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Tina’s designs are inspired from her childhood lessons from her Anangu/Spinifex father and her Kepa Kurl Nyungar mother. Tina finds inspiration in the Seven Sisters Tjukurrpa (Creation Story) and how the sisters demonstrated the close bonds of womanhood. She is also inspired by childhood family trips out bush gathering tjala (honey ants), maku (bardi grubs), and mai (bush vegetables, fruits, and seeds).

Artist name:

Sean Lillico

Artist Language Group:

English

Artist ties to our community:

Sean Lillico has ties to the community of Kalgoorlie-Boulder through Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation. Sean has worked with Anangu, Spinifex, and Traditional Owner for Upurli Upurli Nguratja and Kepa Kurl (Esperance) music producer, Libby Carmody at Tjuma Pulka to produce Creation Story soundscapes for NAIDOC Week in 2016 and 2017. He also recorded the song Ma Goola by Mathias Duplessy and the Violins of the World and the Brownley Gospel Singers. He has also worked with other First Nation musicians in our community from the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Sean is a very talented Audio Engineer and musician. He owns a music recording studio and has produced singles and albums for a number of artists. He is a multi-Instrumentalist musician, and highly proficient in classical, jazz and contemporary piano, vocals, drums, guitar, bass, accordion and other instruments. He has worked in pubs, clubs and theatre. And is experienced in music education, regional music programs, First Nation music workshops, studio equipment and design, large-and-small-scale audio systems. Sean works with First Nation musicians and Communities from the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and the South West. He has just completed composing the soundtrack with Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation on their huge digital Megafauna production.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Canopy Audio.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Sean is inspired by sounds coming from the landscape and by the spoken word of First Nation languages, which are musical and rhythmic in structure. He is inspired by the people and their cultural stories that are interwoven with the land and living beings.

Artist name:

Valma Schultz

Artist Language Group:

Ngadju and Wudjari Nyungar

Artist ties to our community:

Valma is Ngadju (Warran Bunna, Norseman) and Wudjari Nyungar (Kepa Kurl, Esperance). She has strong family links to community and the land. Valma grew up in Norseman, Kalgoorlie and Esperance and has lived mostly on Ngadju Country and holds many Creation Stories that have been passed onto her through her Mum. Valma often spends time on Country. She follows in the steps of her ancestors, visiting special places, collecting bush foods and sitting around the camp fire. Valma passes her knowledge and wisdom on to her children, ensuring that culture is always alive.

Artist talent and career highlights:

Valma’s artwork is stunning. Rich in meaning and colour she uses a combination of traditional and contemporary styles. Valma’s artwork can be seen on murals in Warran Bunna (Norseman) and Karlkurltjarraku (Spinifex language: the land where the karlkurla grows) Kalgoorlie. Her artwork often features Creation Stories that are unique to the Warran Bunna area. The Ngadju people who live on Warran Bunna identify themselves with the Goolbrit (grey kangaroo) which features in Valma’s artworks, along with the Yaada (eagle), a frequent visitor to Warran Bunna. Valma’s work is often seen in Exhibitions and she was involved in Heartwalk. Being a part of the Kal City Centre is a highlight of her career.

What is the artist creating as part of the Kal City Centre Project?

Mural.

What is the Artists inspiration behind their Design?

Creation Stories, the animals, gathering bush foods, and the Land is the inspiration behind Valma’s artworks. Valma is also inspired by colour, as the Land is rich in many different colours. Valma is also inspired by her responsibility to pass her knowledge onto her children to keep culture alive. She is also inspired by Yaada (eagle) and Goolbrit (grey kangaroo) as they are always seen on Ngadju Country.