Robert Andrew
A connective reveal – nainmurra guuruburrii dhaura

Creation date: 2022 – ongoing
Location: Gallery 12

Artist Robert Andrew on A connective reveal – nainmurra guuruburrii dhaura

It was a colonising tool, to use language, and take someone’s language away, and have the written word direct them. With the palimpsest works, I use either a Yawuru word or words that are connected to the Country the work is exhibited on. It’s part of that revealing of history, and uncovering.

‘Nainmurra guuruburrii dhaura’ (taking care of ceremonial ground) speaks to the idea of looking after Country, and part of that has ceremony in it. For the Traditional Custodians, it is the idea of looking after Country, and looking after Country is looking after self, because Country will look after you if you look after it. This idea attaches itself to ceremony, because ceremony is that idea of coming together to celebrate ideas around our own movement within time and within Country, and our understanding of ourselves and the Country that we’re on.

— Robert Andrew, 2021

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