NAIDOC WEEK: Artists Statement

I chose to feature a Great White Shark in my artwork as the shark is my totem. The thought process for the snake came about when I reflected on this year’s theme for NAIDOC, which is 50 Years of Deadly. It led me to thinking about Australia 50,000 years ago and the people and animals that were there at that time. Wanambi, a snake that inspired the Dreaming Story of the rainbow serpent was there then, along with many other extreme animals. Despite this, we still managed to persevere and survive. For me, celebrating NAIDOC this year and its theme 50 Years of Deadly, means acknowledging that Aboriginal people have managed to endure and thrive for over 50,000 despite all the challenges.

The process for creating the artwork was that I first drew shape of snake with pencil, before promptly adding the patterns. Then I drew the shark. Once I was done with the outlines and patterns of the drawing, I could transfer that to the lino. I started off by carving out the shape of the snake, then carving out the shapes and patterns, particularly on the bottom of the shark, to create countershading.

As an aside, because the medium of linocut printing sees the image inverted, where I had planned to show my initials ‘EW’, has become ‘WE’, which seems pertinent for a celebration of NAIDOC.

Eddy Waddington, Biripi.