I really hope that you can make the opening or even just pop in for a visit while it’s on. I am in the process of making a catalogue which will contain images and writing by Jirra Lulla Harvey who has written amazing essays on my work and it’s meanings in the past. The show will be travelling from Melbourne to Sydney to Adelaide to Darwin over the next year. Also, one of the photographs is currently a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, so fingers crossed. Lastly, you will be able to see the documentary on national telly this October, so stay tuned.
And just in case you would like a bit more information, here’s my artist spiel:
The term Sistagirl is used to describe a transgender person in Tiwi Island culture. Traditionally, the term was Yimpininni. The very existence of the word provides some indication of the inclusive attitudes historically extended towards Aboriginal sexual minorities. Colonisation not only wiped out many indigenous people, it also had an impact on Aboriginal culture and understanding of sexual and gender expression. As Catholicism took hold and many traditions were lost, this term became a thing of the past. Yimpininni were once held in high regard as the nurturers within the family unit and tribe much like the Faafafine from Samoa. As the usage of the term vanished, tribes attitudes toward queer indigenous people began to resemble that of the western world and religious right.
