immersed milaythina-ti

14 September - 27 October 2024

immersed in country

Design Tasmania is proud to present this contemporary art and design installation by mother/daughter pakana artists, Vicki West and Tegan Murray,

“As proud truwulway women, (mother, daughter) and artists, our country is in northeast lutruwita / Tasmania. Our relationship with milaythina is a continuation of our ancestors’.

In this installation, we are responding to the fragility of milaythina ecologically, environmentally and culturally. While this installation carries our concern for milaythina / muka country / sea, it also celebrates the continuing culture and survival of our people. It pays homage to the past and the continuing cultural warriors of lutruwita. This body of works are an expression of our interconnection to milaythina”

Vicki and Tegan

Image credit Tegan Murray.

Vicki West, First Nations Artist

Vicki West is a proud truwulway artist of lutrawita. She undertook a bridging course in art at riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education in Launceston in the early 1990s, and completed her Bachelor Fine Arts in 1999, BFA First Class Honours in 2001 and Masters in 2008 with a scholarship UTAS.

West has maintained a strong local, national and international exhibition record since entering the field – including solo exhibitions in Adelaide, Launceston and Melbourne, and numerous national touring exhibitions including Defying Empire, String Theory, Menagerie, tayenebe, Woven Forms, Native Title Business and The One Tree Project.

Represented in collections of major institutions Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, NSW, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, TAS, Australian National Museum, Canberra, ACT, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT, Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Campbelltown, NSW, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, NT, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.

West has worked extensively at the community level, presenting workshops and undertaking projects through schools and museums both within Tasmania and nationally. Currently the Children’s Arts and Culture coordinator for meenah neenah, a cultural arts program.

West’s practice draws on traditional cultural practices and materials to create contemporary artworks that explore and celebrate cultural survival in the face of continuing colonial myths of the extinction of her people. - “we are still here".

Photo by Tegan Murray

Tegan Murray, First Nations Artist

Tegan Murray is an emerging artist and proud truwulway woman who calls Lutruwita/Tasmania her home. While she has established a successful career in wedding and portrait photography, Tegan's creative fire extends far beyond capturing life's special moments.

Recently, she has embarked on a journey of artistic exploration, using photography as a medium to express her ancestral connections, reflecting the rich cultural heritage she carries with her.

Beyond her artistic pursuits, Tegan is a dedicated mentor for her community through the Meenah Neenah Program, a cultural arts initiative that empowers Aboriginal children.