"This shows me dreaming about the recent past and the future. It all comes down to land.
I wanted to paint myself placed within the two words that symbolise the era in which I live. This finishing work to a series illustrates that even after a hundred years, the issue of who owns this land has not been resolved.
As a descendant of Melbin, a woman who was once an exhibit of colonial conquest, I understand that it is important to assert my freedom. Our lives have been subjectively scrutinised and defined for colonial interests and I now know that any family is a barometer to change. I am strongly aware of the great oral history tradition that I am a part of and I have connection to Melbin as a living being."
Julie Dowling
