You will probably be familiar with the Aboriginal Health Unit’s artwork that’s been used across the District since 2019 – on uniforms, signage and brochures as examples.
This NAIDOC Week, it’s a terrific opportunity to become reacquainted with what the artwork symbolises!
The artist
Born in Murwillumbah and raised in Tumbulgum, Aboriginal artist Jason King has lived on Bundjalung Country in the Tweed Valley his whole life. He comes from a large, culturally diverse family and has strong connections to the local community, being a proud descendant of the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr (Coffs Coast) peoples.
Empowering Health Together
The artwork is inspired by nature and shows healing hands moving and working together to create a feeling of support in the centre. The small circles represent the various Northern Rivers communities, and the larger circles represent organisations in society, such as the Local Health District.
The different components all come together to support the centre’s focus of inclusion and ‘Empowering Health Together’.
“The colours in this work represent the colourful communities in the Northern Rivers, but the rainbow colours also show the difference in everyone and acknowledge their differences,” Jason said.
“Painting for me is a way to connect with my culture and keep it alive and tell stories.”
The artwork
- Utilising the colours of natural resources: (land/livelihood – green/brown, water/creation – blue, fire/renewal – red/orange) to link together as one collective to sustain life, health and wellbeing.
- Small dotted outer circles: colourful communities of Northern NSW.
- Four large circles: health service.
- Ring of hands: supportive services assisting to move the community forward.
- Centre colourful circle: the outcome of Aboriginal health and wellbeing.
The detail
- Rainbow circles: represent the communities and the strong connections we build within them. The people we meet along the way lead us on a path to new friends and new family.
They also represent the diversity of engaged communities and groups, with each colour building upon the next to strengthen and support each other – coming together and working as one – helping and guiding our Elders and socially conscious young leaders to build strong family, community, and friendship networks. - Rainbow colours: vibrant and beautiful, each one very different from the next. This conveys a great message; it shows beauty in diversity and is often a symbol for many groups to show equality and happiness. The rainbow dreaming teaches us to embrace our own differences and the differences of those around us.