This week, Rural Lifestyle Options Australia are celebrating all things NAIDOC. 🖤💛❤️ Today, we are going to be taking a closer look at the 2021 National NAIDOC Poster ‘Care for Country’ which was designed by Gubbi Gubbi artist Maggie-Jean Douglas.
Every year, the National NAIDOC Committee invite talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 13 years and older to submit original artworks for the National NAIDOC Poster Competition, allowing entrants the opportunity to be recognised across Australia in celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements.
Maggie was the winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Poster Competition for 2021 which was chosen from 260 entries.
Drawing inspiration from the 2021 NAIDOC Week theme of ‘Heal Country!’, ‘Care for Country’ is a bright and vibrant artwork which explores how Country has cared for and healed First Nations people spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially and culturally. The artwork includes communities, people, animals and bush medicines spread over different landscapes of red dirt, green grass, bush land and coastal areas to tell the story of the many ways Country can and has healed us throughout our lives and journeys.
The 21-year-old artist said her first thoughts on hearing the 2021 NAIDOC theme ‘Heal Country’ was about how country has cared for and healed First Nations people in all senses of the meaning for so long.
Heal country, heal our nation.
To learn more about Rural Lifestyle Options Australia’s vision for reconciliation, please visit www.rloa.org.au/rap