PAINTING: 'BROWN PAINTING', WENDY HAYDEN

Perth based artist Wendy Hayden was born in Katanning in the region known as the Great South West of Western Australia. Raised in a strong Noongar household, Hayden was encouraged by her father to be proud of her heritage and gather strength from it. Her mother was one of the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal children and it is from her mother’s stories that Hayden draws the inspiration for her painting. As an artist Hayden is known as WendyKA, a name that identifies her place of birth and her heritage country.

According to the artist 'the brown olive tree represents unity, strength and working together and the circles are community and movements. The stem of the brown olive trees are lives joining into mixed cultures. The oval shape olives show strong people groups who are walking the journey together and the colour brown is for the custodial owners.' The painting reminds Wendy of men, their nothing box, stubborn and strong.