Fiona Omeenyo Painting. Australian Aboriginal Art

cm x  cm

Titled:

Award Winning Artist

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

As Indigenous Australians, our way of life goes back over 60,000 years. In my community in Lockhart and within my families, our parents, grand parents, uncles and aunties and elders always kept our families together through our strong traditional cultural laws.

We have to follow certain practices on how we live daily in Country and out of Country and standing strong as families is one of our ways. Our families stand united together for many generations.

Fiona Omeenyo

Born: 18/08/1981

Biography:

I’m a member of the Lockhart River Art Gang. We’re a group of young Aboriginal Artists from the east coast of
Cape York in Far North Queensland. I mainly do paintings on canvas although sometimes I do printing and
sculpture.
The paintings I’m painting now are about traditional family and everyday things. I still remember my home and country through
my painting even though you don’t have many elders or family around you to tell you new
stories. No matter where you go, you’re still carrying these stories and memories for a life-time.
I have four children, Franziska, Croyston, Ainsley and Waylon. I tell these stories about when I was little and it’s good for them
to know. I tell them these stories so I don’t forget where they come from, and so that I can paint about them. It gives me great
ideas on what I will paint.
My paintng is more landscape and it reminds me of when I used to draw on the dirt when we’d go fishing and camping.
When I left school and came back to Lockhart, Franzisca was born. I was like all the other mothers in Lockhart,
stay home, no job, get bored. Until one day Rosie Lloyd came and asked me to work at the art room at the
school. From there my life started getting better. I thought to myself what the hell, I’m not going to waste my life sitting at home
all the Time. I’m going to get out and make a name for my family.
‘Til today, people like my painting and my family’s proud of me, proud of what I’m doing,and I’m proud of what
I’m doing.
Sometimes when I’m bored do my best paintings.The feeling inside of me – I don’t know how to explain it – I just
let that feeling take a hold of my hand, just put the paint on the canvas and start painting away. And when I’m
painting I feel happy, just like someone’s standing next to me watching what I’m doing. Makes me feel strong.