Introducing First Nations artist Janine, winner of EyrePlus’s art competition

EyrePlus is excited to announce that we recently hosted an art competition for our local community, where Ceduna artists were given the opportunity to design artwork to be displayed in our Ceduna office!  

The theme of this competition was ‘For Our Elders’, to align with the theme for National NAIDOC Week for 2023, which was recently held from 2-9 July. Across every generation, Elders have held an important role in First Nations communities, which continues to hold importance today. Elders guide the way for present and future generations, and we pay respect to the Elders lost, and those who continue to fight for all First Nations peoples.  

EyrePlus places high importance on recognising and celebrating the Elders in First Nations communities, and we wish to share this message with the people we see in our Ceduna office each and every day. Our competition opened on June 5^th, and ran for just over a month. With a talented group of six entrants, Ceduna local and First Nations artist Janine has been selected as our winner.  

Janine is a local First Nations artist who decided to submit her artwork to our competition with an important message to share. Creating her piece onto canvas, Janine allowed her creativity and imagination to flow.  

Here is what Janine had to share about the meaning behind her breathtaking design.

“This painting is a meaningful and symbolic representation of health services and interactions within our community. The use of large circles represents health services, and the footprints of people entering and exiting the health service suggest a movement towards and away from the care provided there.

The inclusion of little circles represents Elders talking to elderly people in need of advice, which highlights the importance of intergenerational support and wisdom-sharing within a community. This element highlights the significant role Elders play in providing guidance and assistance to those who require it.

Finally, the dots representing land, sun, and sea add a broader context to the painting. They symbolise the connection between health and the natural environment, emphasising the idea that our well-being is intertwined with the world around us.

Overall, this painting conveys the significance of health services, community support, and the interplay between human health and the natural world.”

The EyrePlus Art Competition offered a $500 voucher as prize for the winning artwork, which was awarded to Janine yesterday. We are excited to see Janine’s artwork in our office each day as a reminder of the importance of Elders, and to symbolise our commitment to supporting the First Nations communities in our local areas across the Far West Region of South Australia.  

If you would like to learn more about National NAIDOC Week’s theme for this year, and the vital role that Elders play in First Nations communities, we encourage you to visit the official NAIDOC website.