Personal Histories at Belconnen Arts Centre

By Benjamen Judd

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The art of Indigenous groups of Australia combines a rich, ancient spirituality with modern storytelling. It is as much a photograph as it is a representation of multiple times, spaces and even dimensions. Wiradjuri man and artist, Duncan Smith, will be sharing a series of paintings, Patterns of the Past, that explore his own personal history and mythology at the Belconnen Arts Centre this July, 4-27.

Duncan Smith makes patterns to remember the past: his Wiradjuri ancestors, the things they did and where they lived. This includes places that have special meanings, like corroboree grounds, initiation grounds and burial sites. These special places were marked by scar trees that featured strong geometric patterns. As a Wiradjuri man, he believes it is his responsibility to tell the stories of his people.

The exhibition is the result of Duncan’s hunt for history – a visual pilgrimage that is embedded as much in the people as it is in the land because, in Indigenous cultures, the two are inseparable.

Patterns of the Past will show at Belconnen Arts Centre from July 4 until July 27.