Entertainment
18 May, 2025
Culture through students’ eyes
NINETEEN young First Nations artists are sharing what culture means to them in UMI Arts’ latest exhibition, Culture Through Our Eyes, which is now open to the public and showcases powerful works across a variety of mediums.
Students from Djarragun College, St Mary’s Catholic School and Trinity Bay High School have put into paintings, lino prints, fabric prints and photography what their ancestry, Country and culture, homeland and experience means in 31 pieces for the exhibition. “Culture Through Our Eyes is a group exhibition where we represent the future of visual arts coming from young First Nations artists,” said UMI Arts exhibition officer Aleksandra Kostic D.
“We have 19 artists and 31 artworks from acrylic painting to photography, linocut, black and white and in colour,” she said.
“These young students – I call them artists because the quality of their work is excellent – are connecting to past, present and they represent the future of visual arts as First Nations who want to be involved in the artworld not only in Australia but internationally.”
Fifteen-year-old Jahzara Michl – a proud Kokoberrin young girl – from St Mary’s Catholic College presented five lino prints representative of her background. “I’m really grateful to have this opportunity because it’s hard to find a platform to present your work and express yourself to the world,” she said.
“These series of work particularly reflects on tradition and connection to Country, recently that’s been a highlight in my life after going on Country with family and we learned some tradition then.”
Trinity Bay’s year 11 student Jahnesta Nona made her debut, presenting a collection of prints of fabric alongside some classmates. “It started off with me just having fun but as I went on this work started to represent connection to family, friends and my culture,” she said.
To find out more, visit the website at UMI arts or click https://bit.ly/4iou3gl
