Kellatie – deep water

Image: Aqua (detail) by Amanda Wright

Kellatie means ‘deep water’ in Nuenonne language. This exhibition, Kellatie – deep water presents paintings by Nuenonne artist, educator and mother Amanda Wright. It highlights the cultural importance of water to her and her children. Wright’s ancestral country is Bruny Island, off the south-east coast of Tasmania. Located between the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and the Tasman Sea it is a place surrounded by water and its separation from mainland Tasmania has played an important role in the survival of Nuenonne people, culture, and spirit.  

Wright’s children are also Bundjalung from the Northern coastal region of New South Wales where the rivers and waterways are integral to their cultural connection. These paintings have been inspired and shaped by conversations between Wright and her grandmother, and speak of their shared spiritual connection to water, the oceans, and rivers. The bold and striking portraits powerfully attest to the resilience, strength and survival of First Nations people.  

This exhibition is being presented as part of the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale.