Biirrinba (Bloodlines of Us)

Biirrinba (Bloodlines of Us) is a painting which pays homage to the mighty Clarence River (Biirrinba in Yaygirr) and my Mother’s family who grew up on a small island within the banks of Biirrinba. The painting depicts a view of the river from Maclean, this is the view I grew up with and it has in a way became a symbol of home to me, my family and our Yaegl mob.

I paint what I am most familiar with, my river, my Biirrinba. I see the river as a life giving vein that pumps through our body enabling us to be. The term bloodlines refers to my familial connection to this place, yet it is also a mark of respect for all the wrongdoings of the past, the unspoken and or undocumented history of the bloodshed of our people within the very banks of the Clarence River.