VPA x Mulganai: Celebrate your journey

DONATION UPDATE:

Thank you for all your support for our initiative. We have sold over 466 of our Limited Edition 'Mulganai' Stainless Steel Shakers since the release and a portion of each shaker sold have been made for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation providing books and literacy programs to remote communities in Australia.

Tell us about Mulganai- what does it mean?

Mulganai means morning star in language. The name was given to my mother when she was pregnant with me as a blessing, then my mother gave it to me. I’ve been an artist my whole life however in 2016 I applied to be a part of a program called DYA which was basically a program to nurture Indigenous kids and their art form and then at the end of the program we hosted a group exhibit at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. This gave me the confidence to pursue art as a career and I haven’t looked back since.

What inspired you to convey your story and culture through art?

I’ve been telling my story through art since I was a child. It has always been an outlet for me. After taking part in the program with DYA I was able to get out of my shell and be among other creative kids who I could relate to as young Indigenous people. I felt seen and like I was a part of something. For once I saw a different perspective, and that was that there was a place for me in the world and I could pave my own path through art.

I wanted to show the world that Indigenous people were still here and we are thriving. We have a wealth of knowledge and culture within us, and I wanted to paint the story through my eyes as a young person.

We believe the voice of an artist shapes attitudes and facilitates positive change in the community around us. How do you hope to bring more awareness towards Aboriginal art and its rich culture?

I believe there’s been a change in the Australian community in the past year and that is that more and more people are opening their eyes to the rich heritage all around them. If I just keep doing my thing and being real, being who I am, then I believe more people will come to view and not only learn about Indigenous art but respect it as well. There’s been a boom of Indigenous art online recently which I believe has really helped bring it to people’s attention as well, who may not otherwise have known that such art was out there.

What do you call the piece of artwork you created with VPA?

The piece is called Resistance and it represents strength in the face of adversity. It represents climbing the mountains we face in life and along the way seeing growth and humility so that we can come out on top a better version of ourselves.