The Gathering of Milgirr-Wahine – Original Painting by Frances Belle Parker and Fleur Yorston

The Gathering of Milgirr-Wahine is one-half of a special collaboration project called Dugulaarra [Together] that launched June 2024.

Original Artwork Dimensions: 150 x 90cm
please note: the featured image is a mock up scene and not true to size 

Dugulaarra/Together, is an inspiring artistic collaboration that breaks down barriers by two of the Valley’s best. Local Yaegl artist Frances Belle Parker and artist Fleur Yorston have joined forces to create this powerful project.

The project involves each artist creating one painting each, without any communication to the other artist, then swapping works so the other artist can do whatever they want on the other’s work. It’s about challenging and exploring an artist’s creative authority. Artists very often become very comfortable and protective within their practises, they forget that experimentation and being taken out of their comfort zone can quite often lead to exciting new ways of working and creating new narratives within their work.

Fleur Yorston Contribution: My contribution to this work is inspired by my homeland of Aotearoa (NZ) Growing up it was a melting pot of the cultures of Maori, Pacific Islander and European. The female figure represents, the holder and giver of life. Bird motifs surround her, as protectors but also as messengers from her ancestors. The flower motifs are reminiscent of tapa cloth from the Pacific islands, which I have personally collected over the years.

Frances Belle Parker Contribtion: Limiting the colour palette was a deliberate choice to make room for the intricate details I incorporated. Oysters, patterns, and linework all play a role, adding depth and contrast to the artwork. As a matriarchal piece, it was crucial to include symbols that resonate with Yaegl culture. The oysters represent the act of gathering, a cornerstone of our society, and evoke the significance of middens in our history.

Click here for information about the artist, Fleur Yorston
and for more information about Frances visit www.francesbelleparker.com.au