Indigenous artist brings home his first exhibition

Indigenous artist and former local Anthony “Boy” Turnbull is returning home to have his first exhibition where it all began.

EXHIBITION: Anthony Turnbull with his work, Bush Wildlife. Picture: Contributed

INDIGENOUS artist and former local Anthony “Boy” Turnbull is returning home to have his first exhibition where it all began.

Anthony was raised in Chinchilla, and was taught to paint by well-known Aboriginal artist Vincent Serico at 16 years of age.

As a proud Mithaka man from the country between Windorah and Birdsville in far western Queensland, Mr Turnbull feels privileged to share his art with family, friends and the community who want to see and learn about traditional Aboriginal art and the stories that go with them.

Over the years Anthony has been collecting books on early Aboriginal history in Australia, and has painted various stories of Aborigines living and hunting in their own country, including some of stories of the hostilities between Aborigines and European settlers. He also loves to share the stories told to him by elders and then retelling them through his art.

As well as being taught traditional techniques, such as cross-hatching by Vincent, Anthony has also studied art in his Diploma in Education through Tropical North Qld TAFE in Cairns.

One of his assessments was to produce a children’s book titled “Darby Making Tracks”, based on his Uncle Darby McCarthy’s first horse race in Thargomindah. In 2015 he also completed his Diploma in Visual Arts at Toowoomba TAFE.

Anthony enjoys painting on canvas of different sizes and is branching out trying different materials, such as carvings, coffee tables, and kangaroo skins. He primarily uses acrylics paint.

The opening night of “Reflections of the Past” will be tomorrow at 6pm at Chinchilla’s Lapunyah Art Gallery, with the exhibition running from June 18 until July 15.

Primary school age children will also be able to participate in a workshop with Anthony during the mid-year school holidays. To attend the opening, RSVP to 46689908.