My relatively fair complexion ultimately allowed me to escape, and for many years deny my aboriginality and early life. When I married I began a new existence in white middle-class society, with all of its relative wealth, opportunity and complexity.

In writing my autobiography several years ago, I confronted the demons of my past and acknowledged my heritage. This allowed me to at first accept, and eventually embrace, who I am and where I have come from.

Many people would describe my paintings as “aboriginal art”, but I personally think that view is too simplistic. While my artwork clearly reflects my indigenous heritage, it is also influenced by my “whiter” side. Many of my paintings attempt to depict the Australian bush and all of the creatures that inhabit it, in a way that acknowledges and celebrates indigenous culture and values. Other works seek to examine and depict the imbalance and tension between black and white Australia, while some address non-racial, universal themes of nature, life and death.

Over time my work has evolved into its own rather unique style, mainly composed using sponges and sticks rather than paint brushes. Some of my more recent paintings reflect my lifelong passion for fossicking and gemstones, incorporating elements of crystal in the medium.

Much of my art is symbolic rather than photographic; an interpretation of what I feel rather than a faithful depiction of what I see.