Vanessa Fitzgerald

Vanessa Fitzgerald

"I was raised as an 'urban' aboriginal by my family in the Inala community, based in Brisbane, Queensland. My mum is of Scottish ancestry and my dad is of combined Irish and Aboriginal ancestry. My nana (dad's mum) is a descendant of the Bunjalung people, who originally lived across central to northern NSW. Even as a child, my Aboriginal roots were the main expression of culture in my life - although both my nana and dad only have limited lingo, the community and family ties are strong in my family.

"My dad was always quite involved in the community in which both he and I grew up, so I also loved to get involved in various ways. In high school I was part of the Aboriginal and Islander Tertiary Aspirations Program (AITAP) and Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA) programs and as well as heavily involved in community groups and service, which lead to my being awarded National NAIDOC Youth of the Year 1994.

"From an early age I had a love of art and expressed it in many forms. As I grew older and more aware of the different styles of art, I fell in love with the symbolic and spiritual nature of Aboriginal artwork. I now have a folio of artwork spanning painting, lino prints and drawings, mainly inspired by Aboriginal design/motifs."

Vanessa
orangebutterflyness@hotmail.com