Aboriginal artists across Ngunnawal country use their artwork to reflect their own personal culture, identity, and healing journeys, while shining a light on reconciliation for all Australians. In this series, we speak with five artists living on Ngunnawal country who share their individual stories of growing up on country, cultural connection and grieving loss through art.
In this article, Kristie Peters shares her incredible story.
“I’m a proud Wiradjuri woman from central-west NSW. I come from a large extended family with 15 brothers and sisters, and the deadliest twin brother anyone could ask for,” Kristie Peters said.
“He passed away just over two years ago now. I’ve got six boys of my own but with all the changes, I took on his boys, too, so now we’re a family of 10.”
Although Ms Peters considered Ngunnawal country home, she got the blessing of a Ngunnawal elder to do her art business on country and classifies them as family.
She said they’ve been a huge support through her journey, and has found this humbling and amazing.
“I found it difficult to find friends growing up because we were the only Indigenous kids at school, so a lot of the children looked down on us because what we were learning in school was far from the truth. So that’s how I started my art – it was about expressing my emotions, so it’s been a massive part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Ms Peters said.
“My biggest fans have always been my family who have had faith in my dream of being an artist since I was a kid. Without their support, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
Ms Peters said before her stepfather passed away from lung cancer, he made her promise to not let her talent go to waste, and to create her dreams into reality.
That’s when Yarrudhamarra Creations came to life.
“My art is more of a contemporary style, and I use many different colours depending on who the art piece is for. A lot of our artwork reflects a powerful medium for healing intergenerational trauma, lifting your energy up and connecting you deeply with the stories,” Ms Peters said.
In Wiradjuri language, Yarrudhamarra means “dream”, reflecting the promise to her stepfather, and her mission of making dreams into reality by connecting people through Aboriginal art and culture.
“A piece that is really close to my heart is The Possum, which reflects losing a loved one, and how the possum heals the family during their loss. Another one that I really love is the Platypus Story, which, in my own experience, reflects knowing it’s okay to be unique and different.”
She said her art is about endeavouring to bring light to reconciliation for the past, present and future, and her key message is we’re all together as one.
“Our goal is to ignite new ways to help others reinvent their life, shine big and bright, and make the world a better place by turning their pains and losses into passion and purpose,” Ms Peters said.
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