BACKGROUND
I’m a proud Dunghutti and Yuin man, who lives on Dharawal Country on the NSW South Coast.
My connection with Country teaches me about our history and my responsibility to protect our culture as I learn from our knowledge holders, family and Elders.
Country provides for all our mob, animals and plants and is at the centre of our identity. Through our business, our focus is to work with community to build capacity as well as support other Indigenous businesses to enable opportunities and understanding of our culture and everything that Country provides for us.
Savanah Detheridge
Gerringong, NSW
Mob: Dunghutti and Yuin
My Country
Mediums: Acrylic on Canvas
Size
Year: 2023
Artwork Elements
The artwork can be broken into
individual elements
All elements can be used alone or
together in various combinations
Colours must remain the same
My name is Savanah Detheridge, I’m 16 and a proud Dunghutti and Yuin artist living on the south coast on Dharawal country.
The artwork ‘My Country’ shows my connection to the physical elements of my ancestors’ country (Dunghutti and Yuin) and the country that I call home (Dharawal).
The water, I have a strong connection to salt water, I grew up around the ocean and feel at peace whenever I can hear the sound of the waves or smell the salt in the air. I’m a saltwater woman and this is a special place where I connect with my family
The sand, the connection between land and sea, on your feet, in your hair, it’s like a gift from the ocean, a constant reminder that it’s still there.
Then you reach the land, the green rolling hills of the south coast, where the mountains meet the sea. From these hills you can watch the whales make their journey home and the waves crash onto the cliffs.
The circles of symbols, these represent my family, friends and community. The brown shows the variety of colours that make up the land and earth. Surrounded by either emu or kangaroo tracks as well as an outline of both animals, representing our connection to the animals we share our country with.
This is a special piece of art that I did for my uncle. I wanted to represent the connection to country and his business. It’s important to remember that for Aboriginal people, country is at the centre of everything and provides for all our needs.