Biirrinba Magic

Biirrinba Magic 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.

There is something special about Biirrinba, from the ever changing colours of the sunsets to the way the water shimmers like thousands of twisting coins as the sun beams down on certain angles. But above all, it is the history of our Yaegl people and the stories contained within the banks of Biirrinba that continue to maintain that sense of strength to all people who call it home. I see the river as a life giving vein that pumps through our body enabling us to be. I paint what I am most familiar with, my river, my Biirrinba.