AMANDA WESTLEY

“My name is Amanda Westley and I am a Ngarrindjeri woman and artist, born in Victor Harbor, South Australia in 1985. My totems are the whale, pelican and black swan. Growing up I experienced the best of both worlds living the farm life 12kms out of coastal country town of Victor Harbor. My father was a boat builder so the water and the ocean have always been a big part of my life. My painting style is dot work and the bright colours from my coastal country hometown and the ocean are represented through my paintings. I have been painting from a very young age and my style is contemporary Aboriginal dot art, I have always enjoyed painting and the calm that it brought. My paintings represent country, for Aboriginal people land has a spiritual and cultural connection and is so important to our identity and way of life. With my painting I have used a combination of pinks, yellows, blues, greens and oranges to represent how I see my Ngarrindjeri country, the small country town near the ocean. My family is one of the oldest Aboriginal families here on the south coast so this land I call home has been a part of my family for a very long time, and by creating these paintings I am acknowledging the important connection my family have with this land.”