Wayne Hill

Wayne Hill is a Wangkumara descendant and a traditional and contemporary Aboriginal artist.

 

 

Wayne Paints to Keep His Culture Alive

 

Originally from the greater Sydney area, Wayne is Wangkumara on his mother’s side. When he was 10, he moved to the country around Bourke and Brewarrina, where his mother showed him the land and shared the stories.  

Wayne started painting after a heart attack in 2010. Reflecting on his childhood experiences in the bush, he uses his paintings to remember the country he grew up in.  

“I just sat down and started painting,” said Wayne. “I also spent a lot of time with other people from other tribes and land, so I reflect back on the other cultures I spent time with as well.”

Wayne paints in the traditional dot style, but will occasionally refer back to his roots and use lines, like his mother’s people. Travelling between two worlds, with one foot in the white world of his father, and the other deep in Aboriginal heritage with his mother, his multifaceted identity is expressed in his painting.

His paintings depict clan gatherings and corroboree, fishing, eating, hunting, tracks and rivers, and animals and are a celebration of culture. They have many meanings, which he loves to share with others. The sandy lizard, which is his totem, is also a representation of his brother who passed away. 

Holding onto Land is one of his favourite paintings. The piece expresses the connection and tragedy of traditional land. The painting represents the tribal group with handprints. 

“The hands represent us trying to hold onto what we have, our land,” said Wayne. “Without the land we are nothing. There is blood running through it to represent the lost lives and the lost country.”

Through his paintings, Wayne is keeping his culture alive and inspiring younger generations to understand their culture and paint. 

You can visit Wayne's Collection here. 

 

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