South East NOW

Bradley Brown, Leann. J Edwards, Jennifer Mullett, Patricia Pittman, Ray Thomas

24 August – 24 November 2024

Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, Level 1

South East NOW is an annual exhibition of Koorie artists that each have a connection to Gunaikurnai Country.

The exhibition is now in its ninth year and has become a hugely popular group show celebrating the artists’ culture and diverse artistic practices.

Latrobe Regional Gallery is excited to partner with East Gippsland Art Gallery to present a selection of works from artists that were included in the South East NOW 2024 exhibition earlier this year. View the complete list of works below.

Ray Thomas
Jerail Ceremony of the Gunnai
Acrylic on canvas, wood and Jirrah skin
Courtesy the artist
$10,000

This painting depicts aspects of the Jerail Ceremony – initiation of the young Gunnai youth into manhood. The Birrarks – (Senior ceremonial men) would coordinate the ceremony as they were the ones that could communicate with the spirit world. These Birrarks had their nose pierced and inserted a bone through the piercing. It is believed that they were lifted into the spirit world by the twine being attached to the bone. There the spirits would show them secret business. The little Southern Emu Wren is the totem for the males, and he is called Yeerung. Boran the pelican is part of the creation story for the Gunnai people of Gippsland.

Bradley Brown
Artworks in order:

Songs of Freedom
Oil on canvas
Courtesy the artist
$7000

Clothed in Respect and Unity
Wood-burning and acrylic on wood
Collection of East Gippsland Art Gallery

Bradley Brown is a proud Gunaikurnai, Bidwal, Gunditjmara artist living and working in Bairnsdale on Gunaikurnai Country. He is a full-time father and artist. His passion is helping others, encouraging and teaching young people, especially youth at risk, and Aboriginal kids, respecting his Aboriginal culture and raising his family in the right way.

I have a strong passion for painting and telling my stories because it keeps me busy and is important culturally.

Songs of Freedom depicts someone playing the didgeridoo a sound that has a true and authentic melody and original instrument of Australia that has been played by Aboriginal people for thousands of years and has a unique and beautiful sound which I tried to capture in this artwork.

This instrument is played by one person at a time which is my hope for this nation to be in unity as one and have respect for each other. There have been so many sins of the past and present that have stopped that original sound.

Leann J. Edwards
Artworks in order:

Lizards on Sand
Linocut on watercolour

Turtles and Waterlilies
Linocut on watercolour

Long neck turtle
Etching

Courtesy the artist
$625 each, unframed

Leann J. Edwards was born in Robinvale, Victoria, and is a descendant of the Wiradjuri and Yitha Yitha Nations of New South Wales, and the Mara clan of the Yolgnu people of the Northern Territory. Leann has lived in Lakes Entrance for many years, has been an artist for over thirty years, and has an incredibly diverse range of skills across a wide range of mediums. Leann’s work is held in public galleries and museums, including the National Gallery of Australia.

Jennifer Mullett
Bruthen Dreaming – Night Hawke
Woodblock print
Courtesy the artist
$1500

Jennifer’s work is a re-connection to personal memories and experiences and a representation of identity that explores the symbolism used in paintings, artifacts and storytelling of the Gunaikurnai, Bidawal and Ngarigu (Monaro) peoples. Jennifer’s work is held in public galleries and museums, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and Koorie Heritage Trust, Melbourne.

Patricia Pittman
Artworks in order:

Crayfish
Ink and acrylic on archival paper

Whales
Ink and acrylic on archival paper

Courtesy the artist
$2400 each, framed

Aboriginal people of South East NSW had a special relationship with whales. Dating back thousands of years, the Katungal, or sea-coast people, had a unique bond with the whales and they communicated with them. According to their age-old lore the “Beowas” (brothers) were family reincarnated to the sea. One dreaming story tells of when Yuin men passed away, they were reincarnated as a whale. That’s why we have so much respect for the whale, it is part of our dreaming told and passed down by our ancestors, our elders, our people.

Patricia Pittman lives and works in Gippsland, Gunaikurnai Country but is from the Yuin Nation on the south coast of NSW.