My name is Sheyleace and I am a proud Dunghutti girl, living on Birpai country in Port Macquarie. I draw inspiration for the colours from the ocean and from the waterways in the local area. I love to paint and create artworks that reflect our deadly region.

I was born in Kempsey and grew up on the Mid North Coast, Telegraph Point and Port Macquarie area. I am a self-taught artist and I started painting around 2016. The inspiration and the colours for my paintings come from the rivers, the bush and the wildlife. The plants and the animals of the surrounding…

A Dunghutti Elder, Leo Wright, or LEEKO as he is known to many, is a self-taught artist. He has created artworks for many years, starting in his childhood around the Bellbrook and Kempsey areas of the New South Wales Mid-North Coast. Leeko says: “My paintings are now in collections in Europe, Asia, Egypt (in the…

Gus Kelly was born in Kempsey, New South Wales in 1949 and belongs to the Dunghutti language group. Gus has been creating art since 1997 after graduating from art studies at Kempsey TAFE College. Gus has been a finalist in various awards including the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Award and was…

“I am a very proud Dunghutti woman. I was born in Kempsey and have lived most of my life in the beautiful Macleay Valley. The beauty of the valley, its mountains, river, streams, creeks, beaches and people inspire me to paint. The valley is a constant in my life and I like to share its…

Jaluka Rosalee Quinlin is an artist, singer and songwriter of Djaingatti, Cadigal and Darug heritage. She learnt songs from the Torres Strait Islands, Yirrkala area. She is passionate about her Aboriginal Culture and expressing it through her art. Jaluka Rosalee’s artwork “Pee Dee Days 1965” is in the gallery’s permanent collection.

Mabel Ritchie is a Dunghutti woman who was born in Newcastle. Mabel’s family moved back to her father’s home land at Burnt Bridge when she was very young and she grew up there with her brothers and sisters. As a young girl, Mabel loved to watch her aunties and uncles paint beautiful pictures.  Mabel enjoyed painting stories…

Rex was born in Sydney 1968 and belongs to the Gamilaraay language group. Rex was adopted by a white family at three months of age and grew up at Nyngan, a farming community in Central West New south Wales.  His interest in his birth mother and Aboriginal heritage was sparked when he first began painting.…

“Everything I see around me gets painted on my minds canvas. As a child I spent a lot of time in the bush, on the banks of the Darling River, fishing and catching frogs with my brother. We sat under a large tree whilst Elders told stories of the Dream Time. Although I am a…

Larry likes to paint animals from the local area on canvas, board, didgeridoos and on boomerangs. Larry thinks about the boys being sent away and wonders if they would ever fully reconnect with their families. A meeting place referred to as the ‘Big E’ – a watering hole in Redfern – would often be a…

“I’m from the Dunghutti tribe and I’ve lived in Kempsey all of my life, growing up at Burnt Bridge with my Nan and Aunty. My father was the famous boxer known as Ritchie Sands whose real name was Percy Ritchie.” “I have been working with Macleay Options for thirty years, mowing with Momacs and wood…

“I am a proud Dunghutti man. I was born and raised in Kempsey. I started painting about 8 years ago. I was inspired by my surroundings and by the stories I was told by my elders and by my family. I am a contemporary artist and I like to paint my experiences through life, what it…

Richard was born in Bowraville. His mother was Gumbaynggirr and his father was a member of the Dunghutti tribe. From an early age Richard would sketch.  His father would then burn the images onto boomerangs, shields and spears which they would sell for food. He was taken away from his family and placed in Kinchela…