This is a changing selection of work by Indigenous visual artists based in the Northern Rivers showcasing the quality and diversity of Indigenous visual arts in this region.
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biography
Born in 1966 in Tweed Heads, Michael Philp is a Minjungbal man, a tribe of the Bundjalung nation. He studied music in Adelaide before moving to Lismore in 1996. He is father to a 10 year old son. Michael is self-taught and finds painting healing. He started painting after many years working in education and welfare. He has sold work to Planet Corroboree in Byron Bay. As an emerging artist Michael has already produced an impressive body of work.
artist profile
The stories in my painting are about contemporary issues. When I was young I was around family but lots of stories were not passed on so now I’m creating a contemporary story for me. My work is about what it’s like for younger Aboriginal people today living in a mainstream world.
My inspiration comes from my desire to connect with my identity as an Aboriginal person. I’m not a traditional man. I grew up urban, going to school with white kids, so I try to reflect that in my painting. I do a lot of my painting for healing myself and getting more in touch with spirit. It really helps get the crap out of my system. When I sold some paintings the buyers were blown away. Because I came from a background of low self-esteem I just thought ‘whatever’.
My inspiration comes from what’s around me and my experiences in life. I’m a recovering alcoholic, clean for the last 9 years. I grew up seeing a lot of violence towards Aboriginal people and between men and women and the law, so I try to paint about those things and make sense of it all. My last few paintings were about women and sexuality and spirituality and motherhood. It grew out of respect to my mother and sisters. Another painting was about Aboriginal gay men, fighting over a lover. Being gay is even more stigmatized in the Aboriginal community.
I don’t think about what I’m going to paint, I just start painting. My first lot of paintings were about women, so maybe now I’m going to do more about men. I don’t know. Anything could happen.
