Art is a dream that Norma MacDonald never gave up on, despite the many obstacles she faced throughout her life. As a Noongar and Yamatji woman, MacDonald has had a storied career, with works held in the Art Gallery of WA and the National Gallery of Australia, as well as numerous exhibitions and books to look back on. But it was not an easy journey, and MacDonald’s early life was marked by challenges that would shape her art and her perspective on the world.
MacDonald’s early life was one of hardship and struggle, but it also laid the foundation for her artistic talent and her commitment to using art as a powerful form of self-expression. At the age of 14, her father made her leave school to get a job, a decision that would have a lasting impact on her life and her career. “I didn’t go to high school, and it played on my mind,” MacDonald said, reflecting on the decision that was made for her. “I got married and had my children, but I knew that I wanted to pursue my own artistic career, and I was determined to make it happen.”
Breaking the Silence
MacDonald’s art is not just about creating beautiful images; it’s about giving voice to the experiences of Aboriginal women and the broader Aboriginal community. As a lighter-skinned Aboriginal person, MacDonald faced the challenge of being overlooked and marginalized, but she refused to let that happen. “At the same time, I wanted to honour the experiences of my parents and grandparents, who grew up on missions and experienced the full force of child removal policies,” MacDonald said. In her paintings, MacDonald tells stories of life on the missions, stolen generations, and life on stations, using art as a powerful form of self-expression and a way to break the silence that had been imposed on her community. “I felt that I couldn’t just let that fade away,” MacDonald said. “Our people have been treated so bad, and the more I read and study, it makes me shudder.”
A Family Legacy
MacDonald’s passion for creating is something that she has passed on to her daughter and granddaughter, Robyn Jean and Emily Rose. It’s also something that her forebears did, as evidenced by the exquisite embroidery done by her grandmother in Mogumber mission. “I brought the embroidery along with me on my visit to see my granddaughter’s latest work, a large-scale mural on the ground floor at Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA),” MacDonald said. Emily Rose’s piece, commissioned as part of the Revealed exhibition, has been a chance for her to celebrate the generations of women in her family and what they have been through. “The idea is that children, families, schools, basically the wider community can come in and do an activity, and the idea started forming that they could come in and create their own leaves and that would speak to the diversity of the community,” Rose said.
| Artist: | Emily Rose |
| Work Title: | Mural: Celebrating the Generations of Women in the Family |
| Medium: | Paint and paper |
| Location: | PICA Hub |
| Date: | Until June 15 |
A Voice for the Forgotten
For MacDonald, seeing the mural for the first time was “mind-blowing”. The Revealed exhibition is a showcase of Aboriginal artists from centres across WA, and it’s a celebration of the diversity and talent of the Aboriginal community. For Rose, the commission was a chance to pay homage to the Noongar people and the Whadjuk country here, and to inspire others to create their own art. “We’ve all had our own personal struggles and creating, doing art, whether it’s painting or doing photography, whatever, brings us back to our root foundations, and feeling secure and solid in a way that nothing else can do,” Robyn Jean said. In the words of Norma MacDonald, art is a dream that never gives up, and it’s a voice for the forgotten. As a Noongar and Yamatji woman, MacDonald’s art is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Aboriginal community, and a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always hope and always a way forward.
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