"The artwork, Baring, that Madison Connors created for the Aboriginal Victoria’s Traditional Owner voices report, “To be heard and for the words to have actions” is a great depiction of community aspirations coming to fruition. We briefed Maddy on the vision for our work to improve government relationships and support strong foundations for Traditional Owners. Maddy was able to turn this brief into a stunning artwork with an accompanying story that speaks to our work. Different elements of the artwork are able to be used for two of our programs that are informed by the Traditional Owner voices report: Strong Roots for Our Futures Program and Traditional Owner Engagement Program
We have had so much positive feedback from Community about how beautiful Maddy's artwork is."
Jesse Williams
Engagement Officer, Traditional Owner Programs - Aboriginal Victoria
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Artworks Storyline
Baring (which translates to Journey/Connection in Dja Dja Wurrung)
The story behind this piece is a depiction of a seed (in the middle), this seed has been planted in community, this seed is planted as the beginning for many, and this seed has strong connections to the soil it grows within (the community).
The seed also holds strong connections to the roots of the tree, and the roots, our ancestors are the beginning of all Aboriginal people’s growth. Being those of our ancestors, these roots are there to guide and strengthen the connection to culture, which continues and will continue to flourish.
These connections to our ancestors are how growth will continue to be strengthened into the future. The truck of the tree is shown as an etching, a web-like element, displaying the interconnectedness of all our stories, our connections, our struggles, our triumphs, and our histories. We will never forget where we have come from, the journey we have taken and the resilience our people have continued to show.
Project Documents