"The Hands of Support in Community”
Michelle Searle Awabakal
Acrylic on canvas 2023
Commissioned for the 2023/24 First Nations NBN Box Art Project

About the artwork

"Aboriginal people come from many nations across the lands. We live in a kinship model sharing and learning from one another and the patterns and shapes represent this. Our journeys are different and we are all at different points on our shared journeys. The hands represent the support we gain from our communities and that by being there for one another we can grow teach and learn united." - Michelle Searle

About the artist

Michelle is a proud Awabakal woman from Newcastle New South Wales but has grown up and lived in Geelong on Wadawurrung country.

For me painting as an Aboriginal artist is a way of telling stories we learn them we grow them and share them with one another. I have always been artistic but through the COVID period it sparked an interest and I really got enthusiastic in redeveloping myself and finding out who I am. It is exciting to be painting again and being able to share people’s stories through my painting.

Artwork location