Being painted up was a part of life in traditional times.
We don't ever want to lose that.
I have connection here to Darumbal tribe.
Through my mother, my grandmother.
Also to the Yiman tribe, which is out towards Taroom.
I went cold turkey on the drink and the smokes.
And then I just went and bought a camera.
Just an old camera off, I think I got it off Gumtree, to be
honest.
And I didn't even really know how to use the thing.
I've always had an interest in pictures and in photography,
especially with Aboriginal people.
Reason being, I would go over to family's houses or anyone of
Aboriginal heritage, and you go into their house and you look at
the family photos and and you see them dressed up a nice
clothes.
And I always used to think, 'well, how come we're not not
getting photographed with who we are and what we represent.'
And that was something I wanted to change.
You got people that are all different levels in regards to
their cultural knowledge.
Some people have never been painted up in their life.
So you share that moment with them.
And a lot of people don't really see that when they paint up they
have this feeling that no one else sees.
But, you know, I get to see that.
I’m a Darumbal woman on my father’s side and a Torres
Strait Islander on my mother’s.
The first photoshoot I did with Trent was probably the first
time I've actually really got culturally connected and wanted
to do something like that.
They might come from families who don't dance or are not
involved in a lot of things community-wise.
And then I had that opportunity.
A lot of people struggle with their identity.
So they feel kind of shame or embarrassed, to be able to want
to paint up.
They think of what others might think of them, but it's for
everybody.
I wanted to be empowered I guess, after everything that
I’ve been through.
To come out on top, did the photoshoot and it made me feel
good.
This is my baby Jundamarli, it means thunder.
His name is actually Koori, New South Wales, I got it off a
friend.
But I wanted something powerful. What’s more powerful than
thunder?
It’s empowering, it gives me confidence as a black woman.
It makes me proud.
Showing my family, showing community, not only that passing
it down to the little people is really important because we want
them to be proud of who they are and where they come from.
I'd worked in the mining industry for a while, and then I
came back home and I started getting really involved in a lot
of culture here back home because we were losing elders
pretty quickly in my family.
And there was no one really taking on that role.
I spend a lot of hours in the bush with certain people,
certain elders, and really started learning a lot about,
especially Darumbal culture.
This comes from country here, Darumbal country.
This is ochre, we call this one here dhagula.
I just love photographing people.
I like interacting with people.
I like educating people.
Really getting out there and showing that every clan group is
different.
We're not all just the same.
I wanted to be that role model that that kids looked up to.
That I can proudly stand up there as an Aboriginal man and
say, 'I don't drink or smoke.
You can follow. You can follow me, you can trust me.
You can go out there do anything with your skill.
We all have something that we're good at.
And it's about using that and going after and doing what you
want.
His work is deadly.
Everyone that he photographs, I think he does a beautiful and
amazing work.
Gives people confidence at the end of the day.
Make them feel like they mean something.