Wadawurrung elder Aunty Marlene brings her culture ‘back into the picture’ by sharing her art globally
Wadawurrung elder Aunty Marlene Gilson shares her stories and those of her ancestors through art. Now, her family are continuing the tradition of sharing their culture through painting and weaving.
Geelong
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“I keep the fire burning as a cultural fire practitioner to heal our people and reset Country, and I especially love to see Elders and young mob get involved as this practice has been sleeping for many years,” Wadawurrung woman Tammy Gilson said.
Wadawurrung Elder Aunty Marlene Gilson is sharing her stories and those of her ancestors through art that is garnering global attention.
Aunty Marlene began painting in 2012, and held a joint exhibition with her daughter Deanne Gilson at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
Now her work is exhibited at the Venice Biennale in Italy – a contemporary visual art exhibition with artists from 75 countries hosted nearly every second year since 1895.
Last year, representatives from the Biennale visited Martin Browne Contemporary in Sydney where Aunty Marlene’s work is supported.
They chose her to be one of three Australian artists at the prestigious event. “It was pretty special,” Aunty Marlene said.
“I have seven paintings on display. They have been borrowed from collectors in the Biennale, one from Cate Blanchett’s London collection and another from Wesfarmers. The exhibition goes until November 24, 2024.”
Aunty Marlene said it became a family holiday earlier this year with some of her children and grandchildren visiting Italy,France and England.
“When you’re in something like that, the biggest art exhibition in the world, you can’t go any higher than that and (my family) came along to support me,” she said.
“It was amazing they didn’t miss out.”
In 2022, Aunty Marlene’s work was projected onto the Sydney Opera House and she didn’t think she could take her art any further.
She said to then go to Venice was unbelievable.
Aunty Marlene’s artwork has evolved from paintings of birds to Dreamtime stories, to telling the stories of the Gold Rushera.
“I like to tell the stories through little people in my paintings,” she said.
“I aimed to bring our people back into the picture because we were a tribe they said didn’t exist and this way I have put us back on the map.”
Aunty Marlene said she left Venice feeling inspired.
“We received a few good reviews and one from Vogue Magazine Scandinavia put me in with the top Indigenous artists to see andI thought that was pretty good,” she said.
Aunty Marlene said she kept the fire burning by sharing her art. “Keeping the fire burning is about passing the stories on to my family through my art and honouring my ancestors because without them we wouldn’tbe here,” she said.
Aunty Marlene was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King’s Birthday honours for her contribution to visual arts.
She has also passed her love of art through to her children and grandchildren.
While daughter Dr Deanne Gilson is also a multi-award-winning visual artist and cultural educator, her other daughter Tammy weaves and has been recognised with awards for her work too.
Tammy said her own daughter Indigo also painted and wanted to be a full-time artist like her grandmother, Aunty Marlene.
Tammy is a traditional weaver with a focus on sustainability.
“I collect and harvest from country and create objects or adornments that represent our history,” she said.
“I always do research and create something the ancestors or the aunties created to keep traditions alive.
“I feel country is always teaching me and always presenting different opportunities.”
Tammy said she was proud to be acknowledged as a Wadawurrung woman with her awards.
“It’s hard work, we have to make sure our styles and designs are representative of Wadawurrung culture, people and country,” she said.
“I’m also recognised as a Blak designer with the Koori Heritage Trust.”
Tammy has a unique perspective on how to keep the fire burning in her cultural fire officer role in Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation’s Caring for Country, Gobata Dja, team.
She was one of the first women to be a nationally accredited culture fire practitioner.
“Being a woman is important in that space as well because we have women’s areas we burn and women’s business is women’s business,” she said.
“It’s important because often fire is a male-dominated area but women need to be empowered by one another to continue to burn and manage country the way our aunties did.”
Tammy said all her work was linked together as her daughter, Indigo, works at the corporation in the Gobata Dja team.
“It’s about making country healthy so we have plants and grasses and when they’re healthy and thriving we can then harvest them and use them, like in weaving,” she said.
“We’re all on this journey together and we like to go gently with our fireand with ourselves when we are learning in that space because we want to get it right.”
“Keeping the fire burning is about keeping the passion and drive alive for our culture and to be staunch in decisions we make.”
Originally published as Wadawurrung elder Aunty Marlene brings her culture ‘back into the picture’ by sharing her art globally
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