Finalist | 2024 Malka Aboriginal Art Prize
“Sacred Waterholes” is a testament to the spiritual significance of water in Aboriginal culture.
Symbols of community represent different families gathering around the pristine waterholes of South Australia, the journeys they have taken and their profound connection to Country. Each line, each dot tells a story of resilience, tradition, and the enduring bond between each tribe and the sacred water sites that sustain them.
For generations, waterholes have served as vital gathering places for ceremonies, storytelling, and song. They are seen as portals to the Dreamtime, the mythical era when ancestral spirits shaped the land and its inhabitants.
In Aboriginal lore, water is revered as a source of life and purification, embodying the essence of creation and renewal. It is believed to possess healing properties and the power to cleanse both body and spirit. As such, waterholes are treated with utmost respect, serving as sacred sites where rituals are performed to honour the ancestors and maintain harmony with the natural world.