Colonisation – Friday, 8 July 2022, Belconnen Arts Centre
Belconnen Arts Centre welcomes Colonisation by Jennifer Kemarre Martinello.
As a senior Aboriginal woman, an educator and mentor as well as a writer and artist, under Grandmother’s Law my role is not just to keep knowledge and pass it on, it is also to awaken and stimulate, guide and nurture. And to shatter silences. The purpose of this exhibition is to challenge dominant socio-culture taboos by breaking silences shrouding what is not spoken, what is hidden out of fear or discomfort. I intend to break the silence around Colonisation by documenting my Cancer Journey, both taboos people shy away from talking about. And by doing so I aim to start conversations about both, because conversation reveals, demystifies and heals, as does the Land, our Mother.
During my treatment and recovery my daily mental mantra was “No squatters on this country! I won’t have it!” This was quietly and emphatically reinforced by the voice of my Grandmother’s Law, trust the Ancestors to hold you and your Land to take care of you. Underscoring those were the deeply-appreciated words of a wise oncology nurse when I first started chemo – “Remember, no side effect is compulsory” (Oncology nurse, CRCC, 2013).
About Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello: She is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist of Aboriginal (Southern Arrernte), Chinese and Anglo-Celtic descent. She graduated from Canberra School of art with a BA (Vis) majoring in Sculpture in 1985. Her Awards include the 2013 Telstra NAATSIA Award, 2016 Bay of Fires Award and 2012 Wollatuka Art Prize. Her works are held in major private and public collections in Australia, the UK, USA, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. She is an active advocate for the arts in the ACT and region and works from her studio at Canberra Glassworks.
The details
What: Colonisation by Jennifer Kemarre Martinello
When: Opening: Friday, 8 July 2022, 6 pm.
Where: Belconnen Arts Centre – 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen ACT.
Cost: Free. More info at Belconnen Arts Centre.
