NAIDOC Week 2022: First Nations women feature in portrait exhibition

When she creates art it becomes her every focus and she admits she can't stop thinking about it.

"I'm obsessed. I don't talk about anything else really, it's all about the art," she said. "If I start a new project, generally I'm thinking about it all the time until it's finished. I was born an artist."

Heidi, who was born in Mona Vale, said local bushland and the First Nations people who call this country home have culminated in her latest exhibition - Ochre Woman.

The exhibition features portraits of 10 First Nations women, who are living or culturally associated with Gai-Mariagal Country in the northern beaches.

When we first interviewed Heidi for this cover story it was June 2021. We sat on the floor at Creative Space in North Curl Curl, her stunning artworks were all around, and she gushed with excitement about how her exhibition would be part of local NAIDOC Week celebrations.

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Then, on June 26, former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced another COVID-19 lockdown. It was just a few days before the exhibition was to open.

Like many other creatives in the northern beaches, the four-month lockdown dashed Heidi's hopes, dreams and plans. The stunning portraits were locked away while she waited for the lockdown to finish, and the community to feel safe to venture out once more.

As the COVID lockdown wore on, Heidi admits the delay in the exhibition finally being shown has been challenging.

"It's been difficult to move on past the Ochre Woman show because I was so ready to show that to the northern beaches and beyond," she said.

"I feel like it's stunted my creativity not being able to move forward because I've still got the Ochre Woman show inside my heart and in my belly."

She has filled her days with painting watercolours of native flowers, drawing native birds, and also her work being a disability support worker who teaches art.

Now, one year on, the Ochre Woman portraits are being unfurled and they will make up part of this year's NAIDOC Week celebrations. National NAIDOC Week is held across Australia in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and learn about the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

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Speaking to the Northern Beaches Review this week, Heidi said she's excited about the exhibition, but still a little nervous thanks to so many COVID cancellations in the past.

"It's quite surreal really. I can't believe a dream is coming into fruition," she said. "I'm getting excited that the exhibition will be on, but at the same time I keep thinking, is something going to shut it down."

"Ever since I was a little girl I wondered what my culture is, where do I belong? How do I fit into this landscape?" she said.

"It's actually right here under my nose, right here, right now. It's in the nature and surroundings.

"There's something about culture for me that makes me feel strong. It just feels very right, it feels like where I'm supposed to be. Connecting to culture for me is like a spiritual practice."

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First Nations people and culture are hugely important to Heidi. She has a passion to learn more and has always wanted her exhibition to feature Aboriginal women.

"I'm amazed by these women's strength and courage and deeply touched by our engagement," she said.

The 10 women featured in the exhibition come from a range of backgrounds, and they each give back to their community, and Heidi has admiration for all of them.

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"I have been intrigued and inspired by many First Nations women who live in our community. They work tirelessly, being of service for many admirable causes professionally, personally and culturally," she said.

"They have influenced my life and my journey as I search for meaning, which is expressed through my creative endeavours."

Nature and the northern beaches bushland is where Heidi often goes walking to draw inspiration for her art. She collects fallen native leaves and flowers to print onto fabric, and the choice of what she picks up depends on who the person is that she is painting.

"I'll go for a walk, think about the person I want to draw, knowing who it is and then collect items off the ground. After a storm's really good because there's lots of things to collect," she said.

Charcoal, pastel and ochre also feature in the Ochre Woman drawings.

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"[They] are an expression of my love and connection to the original culture of this land, which has been shared with me through the teachings of these women," she said.

"Ochre has always been significant to women for ceremony. These mixed-media drawings are a representation of who I see and believe these women to be."

Ochre Woman is a collaborative exhibition that not only features Heidi's works, but also workshops and talks by some of those featured in the artworks.

"I don't want it to be just about me, it's about the women and that's really important. It's about the women sharing their stories," she said.

Heidi's deep wish is for the community to see and hear from these women.

"I've been here all my life and it's only the last five years that I've got to meet Aboriginal women in my area. I never knew that culture existed around here, and I think it's really important to bring it to light around this area and this is the time to do it," she said.

"There would be so many younger people, and people who don't know about this, who'd love to learn this because I didn't learn this at school. That's pretty much the root of a lot of this, is me catching up on all of this stuff I missed out on because I feel like I've been jibbed."

These workshops are running in conjunction with the exhibition.

All workshops will be held at Creative Space, 105 Abbott Road, North Curl Curl. To check availability and book.

Ochre Woman exhibition features 10 First Nations women, who are living or culturally associated with Gai-Mariagal Country in the northern beaches. This event has been endorsed by the Gunyadu First Nations Women's Aboriginal Corporation and The Gai-Mariagal Group.

Susan's ancestry is Woolwonga and Gurindji from the Northern Territory, and she grew up on the northern beaches. Susan is the director of The Gai-Mariagal Group, which is an organisation established to lead social change and create social impact by bringing together like minds and like spirits. She has previously been executive producer the ABC's Indigenous Programs Unit, and head of production at NITV a division of SBS. Susan has recently been appointed to the Council on the Ageing NSW.

Caroline is a senior knowledge holder Wiradjuri, Dungutti woman from the Central West NSW, she lives on Gai-Mariagal Country in the northern beaches. She is a qualified cultural navigator, and graduated from UTS with a Bachelor in Community Management and Adult Education focusing on social emotional wellbeing. She works in the community services sector with local government and not-for-profit organisations.

Aunty Karleen is a Butchulla and Bundjalung woman who is passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills in art, weaving and culture. Karleen is one of NSW most respected weavers, and has delivered weaving workshops for 25 years. She has also been part of Guringai Festival's Weaving Bridges project for seven years, and been involved with projects at the Art Gallery of NSW and the Australian Museum.

Aunty Lois is from Yaegl Country in Maclean on the north coast of NSW, and has lived on the northern beaches for more than 30 years. She has worked in Aboriginal education and made many strong friendships with community members, one of her gifts is gathering people and connecting them.

Lana is a descendant of the Gumbaynggirr tribe in Bowraville NSW, she came to the northern beaches as a young teenager. During the past 25 years she has worked for in an Aboriginal programs area within the NSW Government. Lana is passionate about creating change, to bridge the gap to improve non-Indigenous staff understanding and knowledge of Aboriginal culture customs heritage and protocols.

Frances Bodkin is a senior D'harawal woman of the Bidjigal people of the Sydney region, whose Aboriginal connections run through her mother's bloodline (Elvie Bodkin - nee Perry). Frances is widely recognised as a knowledge holder of D'harawal Garuwanga (Dreaming) Stories, D'harawal plant knowledges (including food, practical, and medicinal uses), and D'harawal climate and seasonal knowledges. She is also a senior member of the D'harawal Traditional Descendants and Knowledge Holders Circle. As a Bidjigal woman, she has a strong alliance with the Gai-Mariagal people north of the harbour.

Sheriden is a descendant of Wiradjuri people, who came to live in the northern beaches in her early 20s. She has completed an Associate Diploma in fashion design, manufacturing, couture, specialising in avant-garde. Her studies have resulted in her flamboyant weaving style, and she said the intricate details in her works grounds her to country. Sheriden has also painted an array of murals on the northern beaches.

Jennifer Louise Moylan is a young woman of Gurindji, Woolwonga heritage from her mother lineage. Born and raised on Gai-Mariagal land, she proudly walks in two worlds. Jennifer produces artworks that visually tells a story across many mediums and applications, including corporate collateral, outdoor installations, and television graphics for her mother's company, The Gai-Mariagal Group.

Jessie is a qualified nutritionist, born and living on Gai-Mariagal Country in the northern beaches. After graduating with a Bachelor in Health Science (Nutritional Medicine) and an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine, Jessie runs a busy home cooking service providing nourishing and healthy meals to families and businesses.

Cara is a Worimi Biripi woman with family connections to the Gringai, Wonnarua and Yuin nations, who has lived on Gamaraigal Country for most of her life. She is an Aboriginal historian and researcher, is a member of the Forum for Indigenous Research Excellence and and is a PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle's Purai Global Indigenous History Centre. Cara wrote Our Country, Our Healer: Aboriginal Apothecaries of Burning Mountain which was published by the Australian National University's Aboriginal History Journal.

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