Travelling to Ceremonyby Brian Young Jagamarra

I (Sabine Haider, Director Central Art) met Brian back in 2010. He is a novice painter and does so as a hobby and a way for him to connect with his culture and Dreamings.

Brian was born in 1974 and is from the Alice Springs region. He has been painting seriously only since 2009. He explains that he was taught his stories and Dreamings from his elders and uses these important themes for his canvases. He enjoys painting his grandmothers and great grandfathers’ country and the stories which are from the Simpson Desert area.

Brian uses traditional colours which many years ago would have been the colours found in ochre rocks. The Brown, Black, White and Tan colours mixed together with fine dotting allow the observer to view significant Aboriginal symbols and tell important cultural stories.

Central Art is one of the first Galleries to hold his works and we believe that it is important to nurture and support upcoming artists such as Brian who wish to share their creative visions.

Brian’s Dreamings include the Honey Bird and Eagle. The artwork which Central Art holds is a piece which illustrates traditional Aboriginal iconography and symbols. The painting shares a story of the important ceremonial sites around Alice Springs. Ceremonies play an integral role in Aboriginal life and culture. In some ceremonies or rituals important people travel great distances (by foot) to participate and most involve some form of chanting, singing, and body decoration as a way for Aboriginal people to connect with their ancestral beings.

If considering Brian’s work I would recommend you do so because the piece is aesthetically pleasing and you are considering a more traditional depiction of Aboriginal art.

View more artworks by this artist