Lorraine Connelly-Northey is of Waradgerie and Irish descent. She has a deep respect for the traditions of her ancestors and uses her knowledge and understanding of Indigenous weaving and other handcrafts to inform her work.
Read MoreTypically, Connelly-Northey substitutes original materials such as grasses, animal skins and bark for found materials. The transformation of rusted wire, mesh and galvanised iron into objects representing Aboriginal artefacts in the form of contemporary post-colonial art, is a brilliant innovative melding of her Irish and Aboriginal heritage. From tiny Narbongs to large installations, the work of Connelly-Northey connects across cultures and generations.
Her work has been widely exhibited in solo and group exhibitions, including at the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Gallery of Art | Gallery of Modern Art, Melbourne Museum, Tandanya, Object Gallery, Koorie Heritage Trust, Mildura Arts Centre, and Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery.
Connelly-Northey has participated in major exhibitions around Australia, including the 2013 Melbourne Now survey of Victorian art at the National Gallery of Victoria, the 2012 Asia Pacific Triennial at QAGOMA, the National Gallery of Australia's 2nd Indigenous Art Triennial unDisclosed, the 2010 Sydney Biennale, and the 2008 Adelaide Biennale. She was short listed for the 2003 Raka Award, the 2005 Victorian Indigenous Art Award, the 2006 Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award and in 2009 the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards where her work was awarded Highly Commended.
Text courtesy Marshall Arts.
