Palai
Ngarrindjeri word for Future
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This painting is the final art piece, signifying the conclusion of the students’ formal schooling journey. The larger gathering circle at the end symbolises the students’ time at school coming full circle, as they journey into the future and move on to new experiences and a new stage of life as young adults.
The moon represents the nanggi (sun) as the sun and the moon are seen as one spirit in Ngarrindjeri culture. She comes up during the day, letting us know when it is time to get up and move about, harvesting and gathering. Then, she shows us when to rest by coming up as the moon. When she does this, all the stars come and show us the Milky Way. The Milky Way in Ngarrindjeri culture is where the ancestors sit up in the sky and show themselves as stars; the bright stars are our creators and lawgivers who created our lands and waters for us.
Around this painting, there is the bush tucker, which is carried by women because they are the gathers and harvesters. The coolamons were used to gather the bush tucker. The different native plants were also used to make bush medicines for healing.
The people sitting are the students, gathering with Elders and teachers, along with all the other important people in their lives, they are sharing their wisdom and cultural understanding with the younger generations.
The footprints on this last painting are shown to go off the end, showing how students’ travelling in this place may have finished, but that their journey continues forward, into the future.
ABOUT THE artist
Cedric Varcoe was born in Adelaide in 1984 and is an Narungga & Ramindjeri man of the Ngarrindjeri language group. He has lived on Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri, Nukunu and Narungga land.
Cedric started painting at 8 years old, as a child his mum would take him to the beach to collect river rocks and shells and paint them and he would listen to Ngarrindjeri stories from his aunties, uncles, and mum’s cousins. He lived in Port Pirie when he became a dad and studied literacy and art at TAFE where he set up an art group. In 2015 he received an ArtSA grant to research his practice and colour theory. Furthering his career, Cedric teamed up with Betterworld Arts who support his practice by selling his work nationally and internationally. Cedric exhibits his work regularly and is also an experienced mural artist and Cultural Leader on his Country.
“Through art I want people to look through our eyes when they visit these places, I want them to feel connected to their miwi (spirit/heart) which makes us and shapes us as a person and connects us to our totems and life that belongs to Country. I’ve made it my purpose to share stories and keep them alive, my responsibility as a custodian is to share that knowledge with younger people about belonging and caring for Country, and significant sites of our lands and waters.” – Cedric Varcoe 2023
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Wardli is the Kaurna word for home. This vibrant wardli art installation represents the journeys of First Nations students’ past, present and future at St Aloysius College. The collaborative project was created by First Nations students, staff, Cedric Varcoe, Uncle Major (Moogy) Sumner AM and architect Peter Moeck. The artwork represents students connecting with teachers, staff and First Nations Student Support Officers. They are learning, sharing and growing in knowledge as part of their journey to understand their place in this community and the wider world. Students learn and gather information as they grow up being raised in diverse cultural contexts. They are developing a deeper understanding of their cultural knowledge, in school and at home with their families. It is important that the knowledge that they hold and develop carries on throughout their lives, and they can sit around the journey site to share their stories and knowledge.
These wardlis are designed for students of all ages to meet, sit and yarn, forging and strengthening connections with one another.
