Born in 1982, Chad Creighton hails from the NyullNyull and Bardi people of the Dampier Peninsula in the West Kimberley. His country is Djoodood: a place between Lombadina/Darindjin and Beagle Bay. This is the place of his grandfather Paddy George (Indoo) and his brother Bernard George (Nhing).

Djoodood is ochre country, white sandy beaches surrounded by high cliffs and hills. Upon those cliffs are the remnants of one of the oldest stockyards in the West Kimberley. These remains are the only evidence that this country was once occupied by non-Indigenous station owners. In the misty ochre of his canvases, Creighton explores the post-colonial history of his country, as the fence lines and stock-posts that once enclosed it are reclaimed by the ancient landscape.

Creighton has had a continuous connection with his country since childhood when his family started going back in the 1980s. Recently he has begun researching his family history with the aid of his mother. With a degree in fine arts from UWA and a background in new media, Creighton set himself a challenge: to capture a slice of his heritage on canvas in paint mixed from the ochre of his family’s country.

“My mother told me the story about one of my grandfathers being taken from the stockyards on horseback when he was a child to the mission. When he was older, he came back to the cliffs to look down on where he’d been taken, and cried. So I travelled back to the cliffs and reflected on things I hadn’t really thought about before. I thought about returning to Djoodood and using the skills I have to do something for my people.”

Mossenson Galleries, in conjunction with the Melbourne Fringe Festival are pleased to present Chad Creighton: Djoodood: Lines of Connection and Disconnection. The exhibition will be opened at 6pm on Tuesday 15 September 2009 by Associate Professor Angela O’Brien, Head of Creative Arts, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne.