Artist Michelle Adams holds beautiful memories of watching her late mother Eve stand for weeks on end while painting stories from their Yindjibarndi culture.
“Those big, important stories that formed part of our knowledge and that understanding of who we were in our community and amongst our people,” Roebourne born-and-raised Adams shares.
“She was a natural-born artist, an Aboriginal woman and one of the very first teacher assistants in the 1970s up at Roebourne Primary School, so she taught me, along with a whole generation of kids.
“Some of the artists who are painting today, some of the other ladies that I grew up with in Roebourne, were all taught by my mum.”
Both Eve and her aunty Mavis Pat — whose son John Pat’s death in custody triggered the landmark Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody — instilled a love of art and passion for social justice in Adams that initially saw her pursue a law degree before shifting focus to the creative arts.
Her artistic practice has seen Adams collaborate with communities, elders and Australia’s leading arts and social change organisation Big hART on numerous projects, including the co-creation of production Punkaliyarra, developed with Yindjibarndi elders and senior women, presented at Sydney Opera House and Perth Festival 2023.
Adams’ transition more recently to visual arts saw her join the Yinjaa-Barni Art collective as she experiences an innate sense to paint, while connecting to the teachings from her elders, where art is more than decoration, it is about emotion, stories and survival.
“I chose Yinjaa-Barni Art collective because Yinjaa-Barni translates as ‘together we are one’ and we sit together and we paint as a family,” Adams says.
“That’s our kinship and our extended family, and there’s safety in that. There’s the safety aspect of being where your artwork is never wrong. Your curious nature to explore all forms of art is very much valued.”
Adams has taken that exploration into installation, Millstream Homestead? My Yindjibarndi Country 2025, an artwork of paperbark and found objects that honours her grandmother, and was selected to be part of this year’s Revealed: New and Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists exhibition at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
Her installation is one of more than 180 works from 101 artists featured in the exhibition, the State’s largest celebration of Aboriginal art, delivered under the custodianship of the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) at PICA from April 18 to June 14.
Curated by Zali Morgan, the exhibition is accompanied by the Revealed Art Market at WA Museum Boola Bardip on April 18. All proceeds from Revealed artwork sales go directly towards supporting artists, art centres and communities across WA.
“I’m turning from the canvas where I would ordinarily just sit and paint with a brush, but with my installation piece, I’m actually weaving a narrative with my voice,” 55-year-old Adams explains, as she makes her Revealed exhibition debut.
“My installation speaks to my grandmother, my mother’s mother, who was born on country and worked on country during the assimilation era. They weren’t citizens, they, to put it kindly, were indentured labour.
“As an Aboriginal woman, my grandmother, who passed away about eight years ago, was my inspiration too. A very powerful woman, traditional woman who taught me a lot about country and the Yindjibarndi identity, what it is to feel like that, where you belong and how you connect to others around you. Women have guided me a lot in my life; we are a matriarchal culture.
“From a social and economic justice point of view, it means women like us come with no capital in this world. It’s been difficult for many Aboriginal people to find their economic base when that history has been there . . . when you invest in an Aboriginal woman’s art, she, in turn, reinvests back in her family and her community. It’s huge.”
AACHWA chief executive Chad Creighton says WA’s premier Aboriginal art showcase continues to forge new pathways that provide one of the largest opportunities for exposure and income for artists and their communities.
“Revealed offers an expansive presentation of Aboriginal art in WA and provides a unique opportunity for audiences to meet artists, hear their stories and purchase authentic works directly,” Creighton adds.
“AACHWA remains deeply committed to supporting Aboriginal artists and art centres across WA, delivering a positive, ethical and community-led platform that strengthens opportunity and cultural practice. Through the Revealed program, we also offer professional development opportunities, workshops and talks that equip artists and art centres with the tools to generate direct income through their work.
“With the current fuel crisis impacting travel to regional and remote communities, this is an opportunity for us all to support artists who may face limitations on income during this period.”
Revealed: New and Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists exhibition is at PICA, April 18 to June 14, along with another new exhibition, All That Country Holds.
Revealed Art Market is at WA Museum Boola Bardip, 9.30am-5pm, April 18.
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