Big Picture

“GHOSTLY FIGURES dance to the haunting sounds of the yidaki [Yolŋu for didgeridoo]. Emu feathers flow as painted bodies float atop the sandy landscape. Embracing the movements, feeling the moment, allows me to paint the mystical compositions in tranquil shadows.This photo represents an artwork within an artwork, stories within stories, this is culture in its purest form,” says pre-eminent Indigenous photographic artist Adjunct Professor Wayne Quilliam of this image from his new book, Culture is Life. Through his work as artist, curator and cultural adviser,Wayne has garnered international recognition with more than

300 exhibitions. Among his many career highlights to date he was named 2009 NAIDOC Indigenous Artist of the Year, and has received a Walkley Award for photojournalism and the Human Rights Media Award. Tasmanian-born Wayne says he is “a creative spirit forever destined to travel”. His beautiful imagery explores the wealth and diversity of the lived experiences of Australia’s First Peoples, a journey, he says, that has only just begun.