I remember growing up and my grandparents always told us that they love going out camping, fishing or swimming in nice
creeks because they can enjoy a calm day. Our nature and wildlife was their natural calming medicine and they had many
calm days to enjoy.
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.
Solo Exhibitions
• 2001: ‘My Story: Miiku, Parrot Sisters and Kuchuutu’ Andrew Baker Art Dealer,
Brisbane QLD
• 2001: June, ‘From here to there’, Short Street Gallery, Broome, Western Australia
• 2001: September, ‘ngata ngaachi’ (my country) at Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane
QLD
• 2001: November, ‘Ngaachi Pathaco (My Home)’ Hogarth Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2002: April, Niagara Gallery, Melbourne VIC
• 2002: October, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2003: May, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane QLD
• 2004: May, Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane QLD
• 2004: June, Niagara Gallery, Melbourne VIC
• 2005: June, ‘Mepla go Long Way’, Andrew Baker Gallery, Brisbane QLD
• 2005: September, ‘Mepla Ngaatchi Longway – Our Home is Far Away’, Hogarth
Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2007: Hogarth Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2007: emerge ART SPACE, Perth WA
• 2008: March, ‘Mepla Sand beach People’, Andrew Baker Gallery, Brisbane QLD
Group ExhibiƟons
• 1998: December, ‘Message Stick’ Exhibition in Brisbane at Qld Aboriginal Creations,
QLD
• 1999: July, International Works on Paper Fair, Sydney NSW
• 1999: December, Lockhart River Art Gang ‘We Searching’ Exhibition at Qld Aboriginal Creations
• 2000: Sep 1999 – Dec 2001 ‘Message Stick’ touring exhibition by ‘The Art Gang’ from
Lockhart River, funded by Visions.
• 2000: June, ‘In my eyes’ Prints by Lockhart River Art Gang & Friends at Cairns Regional Gallery
• 2000: August, ‘The 5th National Indigenous Art of Place Award’ Exhibition at Old Parliament House in Canberra ACT
• 2000: December, ‘Pama belong sand beach’ at Queensland Aboriginal Creations in
Brisbane Qld.
• 2001: June/July, ‘Cape York Art Award’ exhibition at Laura Festival and ‘Laura Award
Winners’ Exhibition at Cairns Regional Gallery
• 2001: June, ‘Local Colours, Local Lives’ Cairns Regional Gallery Federation
Exhibition, QLD
• 2001: September, ‘Gatherings’ Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center, Brisbane
QLD
• 2002: February, ‘New Ground’ Main Street Gallery, Adelaide SA
• 2002: March, ‘International Women’s Day Event’ Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
VIC
• 2002: ‘In Language’ (A Cathedrals Week Exhibition), Ann Street Church Of Christ,
Brisbane QLD
• 2002: August, ‘Collectable Aboriginal Art Event’ Raintree Aboriginal Art Gallery,
Darwin NT
• 2002: October, ‘Inaugural Berlin Exhibition’ (Cape York Indigenous Art Showcase
Exhibition) Ludwig Erhard Haus, Berlin, Germany
• 2003: February, ‘Beneath the Monsoon: Visions of north Capricorn’ held at the Artspace in Mackay, Cairns Regional
Gallery, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
• 2003: ‘Water: Prints from Lockhart River and the Tiwi Islands’ Queensland University of Technology Art Museum, Brisbane
• 2003: April, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs NT
• 2003: April, ‘Moon Exhibition’ Art-house Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2003: July, ‘Story Place Exhibition’ Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane QLD
• 2003: August, ‘Alliance Members Exhibition’ Brisbane QLD
• 2004: 2004 ‘Hiƫng on and kicking off’ COCA/Kick Arts, Cairns QLD
• 2004: August 2004 ‘Ngi’ilu paluku ngi’iku, Our way’ Framed Gallery, Darwin NT
• 2004: August 2004 ‘Big Country’ Gondwana Gallery, Alice Springs NT
• 2004: October 2004 ‘Affordable Art Fair’ Manhattan, New York, USA
• 2004: November 2004 ‘Hot, Hotter, Hottest’ Booker-Lowe Gallery, Houston, Texas,
USA
• 2005: April, ‘Colourfields’ Gondwana Gallery, Alice Springs NT
• 2005: May, Aboriginal Art Show, Booker-Lowe Gallery, Houston, Texas, USA
• 2005: November, Group Show, Framed Gallery, Darwin NT
• 2005: December – February 2006 “Land of Diversity” Hogarth Gallery, Sydney NSW
• 2006: April, October Gallery, London ‘Uncharted Territory’
• 2006: ‘Gatherings’, KickArts Contemporary Arts Ltd, Cairns QLD
• 2006: July, ‘Festival Intercultural de Lorient’, Brittany, France
• 2006: August, ‘Big Country’, touring exhibition, Gondwana Gallery
• 2007: May – July, ‘Our Way: Contemporary Aboriginal Art From Lockhart River,
University of Queensland Art Museum touring exhibiƟon, Brisbane QLD
• 2007: June, ‘Looking Forward, Looking Black’, Kick Arts Contemporary Arts Ltd,
Cairns QLD
• 2007: September, Contemporary Indigenous Art of Lockhart River, Palazzo Collicola, SpoleƩo, Italy
• 2007: September 2007 – January 2008 , Exhibitions & Workshops at Santa Fe Institute of American Indian Art, New Mexico,
USA
• 2007: October – November, ‘Mepla One (we are one)’, emerge ART SPACE, Perth WA
• 2007: November 2007 – January 2008, ‘The Art Gang Returns’, Booker-Lowe Gallery, Houston Texas, USA
• 2008: February, Cape to Cove, Holmes a Court, Perth WA
• 2009: January – March, ‘Connecting with Country, Connecting with Community’, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD
• 2009: February, ‘Art Gang: Lockhart River Artists, Woolloongabba Art Gallery,
Brisbane QLD
• 2009: November, ‘Affordable/Collectable Lockhart River Show’, emerge ART SPACE
Perth WA
• 2010: November – December, ‘The Affordable/Collectable Lockhart River Show’,
emerge ART SPACE, Perth WA
• 2013: August, ‘Kinship’, presented by the Indigenous Art Center Alliance, Tanks Art
Center, Cairns QLD
• 2013: October – November, ‘Ngampula kuunchi – We are family’, emerge ART SPACE, Perth WA
• 2014: July, CIAF (Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, QLD)
• 2016: January, Lockhart River Landscapes Exhibition, Art Mob Gallery, Hobart Tasmania. Paintings from Lockhart River, Far
North Queensland
• 2016: July, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns Queensland
• 2016: August, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin NT
• 2017: January, Lockhart River Group Exhibition, “Ngampula Aalkan Nyiiku Maanchima – Mepla: rise of a new era and
beginning”, ART MOB Gallery, Hobart Tasmania
• 2017: June, Lockhart River Group Exhibition, Cape Country, Art Mob Fine Aboriginal Art Galler, Hobart Tasmania
• 2017: July, Lockhart River Group Participation at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns QLD
• 2017: October 2017 to January 2018, Lockhart River Group ExhibiƟon, Booker Lowe Gallery, Houston Texas USA
•
2018: May – June, Lockhart River group exhibition, Art Atrium Gallery, Sydney NSW
•
2018: June-October, selected combined group exhibition at Foundation Burkhardt-Felder et Culture Musee de l’art
aboriegene australien “La grange” Switzerland. A permanent collection exhibition featuring Lockhart River artists, Elcho
Island artists, Tiwi Island artists and Mornington Island artists. Lockhart River artists include Irene Namok, Fiona
Omeenyo, Rosella Namok and Silas Hobson. Exhibition Titled “Islands in the sea”. Irene Namok, Silas Hobson and
Corporation Manager Enoch Perazim to be present for exhibition opening in Switzerland on 3 June 2018.
•
2018: June, Group exhibition, “Many Rivers to Cross”, Art Mob Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, Hobart Tasmania
• 2018: July, Group exhibition, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns QLD
• 2018: August, Group exhibition, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin NT
• 2019: January, Group exhibition Titled “Which Way’, Art Mob Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, Hobart Tasmania
• 2019: July, Group exhibition, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns QLD
• 2019: August 2019, Group exhibition, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Darwin NT
• 2019: August 2019, Group Exhibition, “Overcoming Adversity”, Art Mob Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, Hobart Tasmania
• 2019: October 25, 4 selected ART GANG Artists auction at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art at 111 Sturt St,
Southbank Victoria 3006, Australia. Other artists included Art auction Silas Hobson , Patrick Butcher,
Rosella Namok
• 2019: October 27, 4 selected ART GANG member group Exhibtions Gallery DEBORTOLLI
Rutherglen Estates in Victoria. Exhibition Titled “Waanta Mukana – Our many yarns, our many stories”
• 2020: March, Group exhibition in Chengdu China. Group invited by Australian Consul General and DFAT. More details to be
published in October 2020 on Arts Centre’s website and Facebook page
• 2020: July to September, Group participation at under Currents Exhibition Tanks Art Centre Cairns
Indigenous Art Fair Online 2020 Exhibition
Collections
• 2018: Collection Switzerland: Foundation Burkhardt-Felder et Culture Musee de l’art aboriegene australien “La grange”,
Switzerland
• Thomas Vroom Collection Netherlands
• Wollongong University Collection NSW
• ATSIC Collection
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• Department of Native Title Collection
• Northern Territory University Collection Darwin
• Cairns Regional Gallery, Queensland
• Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
• Permanent Collection usee de l’art aborigene australien “La grange”, Switzerland
Awards
• 1999: Cape York Art Awards – 1st Prize in Works on Paper for etching on chine colle “Spirits Dance”
• 2000: Art of Place Awards Canberra – work selected for exhibition
• 2001: Cape York Art Awards – 1st Prize paintings general for an acrylic on canvas painting “Sorrow”
Bibliographies
• 1999: The Message Stick: Art from North Queensland’s Lockhart River Aboriginal
Community, [ex. Cat.]
• 2000: Burbidge, Madeline, The Art Gang, Arts Yarn Up, Winter 2000, Australia
Council for the Arts
• 2001: Prior, Cathy, River artists run with inspiraƟon, The Australian, 19 December
• 2001: McLean, Sandra, Show and tell, The Courier Mail, 3 October
• 2001: McCulloch-Uehlin, Susan, Smart Art: Fiona Omeenyo, Australian Art Collector,
Issue 18, October
• 2001: McCulloch-Uehlin, Susan, Water Marks, The Weekend Australian, Review, 21-
22 July
• 2001: McCulloch-Uehlin, Susan, Contemporary Aboriginal Art
• 2001: Laura FestivalCoast to Coast, ABC Television, 5 August
• 2001: James, Bruce, Arts Today (interview), ABC Radio National, 17 July
• 2001: Demozay, Marion (editor), Gatherings , Keeaira Press, Southport
• 2001: Coast to Coast, ABC Television, 7 July
• 2001: Brown, Phil, New fronƟer, Brisbane News, 10 October
• 2002: Pulley, Roz, Cape art makes capital gains, The Cairns Post, 9 November
• 2002: Neales, Sue, Burning Bright, The Australian Financial Review Magazine, July
• 2002: Morrell, Tim, The Lockhart River Gang, Artlink, Volume 22 No 3
• 2002: McLean, Sandra, Messages that SƟck, The Courier Mail, 21 June
• 2002: Forbes, Cameron, Tribal home is where her art is, The Weekend Australian,
13-14 April
• 2003: Wilson, Beneath the Monsoon: Visions North of Capricorn, Artspace Mackay,
Queensland [ex. Cat.]
• 2003: Maier, Heidi, Traveling North, The Courier Mail, 15 February
• 2003: Brown, Phil, Big Impressions, Brisbane News, 16-22 April
