BOOK - KONSTANTINA - GADIGAL NGURA

Gadigan Ngura, Exploring a Gadigal Artist's Love afair with Her Country
By Konstantina, 2024
 
220 page hard cover coffee table book telling the lost histories, Ceremonies and Culture through Art.
 
Konstantina is a proud Gadigal, woman and artist. She is a multi-award winning, nationally and globally represented artist who is painting her Gadigal people back into the narrative of Sydney’s history.
 
Her work, whilst predominantly focused on her brand of contemporary fine-art dot-painting on linen, does span other disciplines such as wood carving, block-printing, writing and illustrating.
 
This retrospective covering the past 7 years of her painting Country is an ode to the Gadigal of Sydney. These honourable, graceful and truly inspirational people who’s stories are the backbone and lifeblood of Konstantina’s works.
 
The Gadigal language is used throughout this book in attempt to share the stories with the use of the traditional language. This is a passion for Konstantina who is one of a few a speakers of this language with her sons.
 
This collection of contemporary and traditional stories have made their way to the artist by many means. Yarns with Elders, Academics, Historians, Ethnographers and other authors, along with thousands of hours in libraries and archives across Australia and the UK.
 
These stories have had a way of grabbing hold of the artist, and informing her practise in a way that is visceral. The feeling the audience has and the connection to Konstantina and her stories is nothing short of incredible. She is able to convey such strong Cultural and Political messages, some of which are truly ugly and others, utterly spectacular; but all of them are beautiful and necessary.
 
This book is important.
These stories are important.
This artwork is important.
They give voice to a people, the Gadigal people of Sydney.