TLF Creative | Yarning with Rosella Namok
Suzanne Howard, Associate of the Supreme Court of Queensland, recently caught up with Indigenous artist Rosella Namok. Suzanne Howard writes.
Different Tribes, 2018, acrylic on canvas by Rosella Namok whose works are available at Fireworks Gallery
Recently, I had a deadly yarn with Indigenous artist, Rosella Namok. Hailing from the Lockhart River, Rosella is from the language groups of Aangkum and Kanthanampu and has heritage stemming from the Torres Strait Islands and Solomon Islands. For those not familiar with Lockhart River, it is situated north of Queensland opposite Weipa and is a coastal area and popular breeding ground for dugongs. Lockhart River is also known for its quintessential artists, one of them being Rosella Namok.
Unlike other artists, Rosella depicts representations of herself within her paintings. Her work is essentially a blueprint of her community showcasing survival, cultural perspective and Indigenous peoples’ stories. An artwork that I discussed with her was a piece called “Different Tribes”. This painting portrayed various winding lines in front of ambiguous shapes that Rosella revealed as six different clan groups from her community. These winding lines which are found in many of Rosella’s work are her signature design which shows her uniqueness and distinctiveness amongst Indigenous artists. Behind these winding lines are usually an image or images portraying some sort of cultural significance as can be seen in Rosella’s painting ‘Full Moon’. Interestingly, one thing you will not find in Rosella’s studio is a paint brush! The only time Rosella uses a brush is when she is signing her name.
What makes Rosella different from other prominent artists is that every painting of hers is diverse. The messages she conveys are not of a direct political nature but rather of an abstract nature. There’s always a different perspective one absorbs from her work each time viewed and this places the onus on the viewer to tease out the story and meaning. Importantly, all of Rosella’s paintings maintains a very strong identity with strong connection to culture. This is unconditionally essential in telling her story as her work is not just pictures on a wall but stories behind it.
An important feature I learnt from her was the reality about being an artist. Being an artist from Lockhart River means understanding the commerciality aspect of the art world. The reality of knowing that one might not sell ten paintings straight away and that selling a few paintings might not be enough for an artist alone as proceeds from those few painting sold go to the logistics of living in a remote community. Also, understanding the aspect of security and finding innovative ways to operate as an artist so one doesn’t have to focus on ‘crisis funding’. It’s vital to create this awareness and I hope that readers of this article search Lockhart River, learn about the culture, the people and the stories. I then hope readers search Rosella Namok and gain an appreciation of the authenticity, uniqueness and originality of her artwork. You can view Rosella’s work here: http://www.fireworksgallery.com.au/artist/rosella-namok
Left to right: Rosella Namok and Suzanne Howard
Left to right: Suzanne Howard, The Hon Justice Anthe Philippides, Rosella Namok and Michael Eather
Background Artwork: Irene Namok (Rosella’s mother), Spring Time Warm Day, 2016, acrylic on canvas