Communicating Country Through Art
Willoughby Northbridge Uniting Church has recently commissioned congregation member Beniah Brooks, to paint a large wall mural for the interior of the Willoughby Church site.
Willoughby Northbridge Uniting Church has recently commissioned congregation member Beniah Brooks, to paint a large wall mural for the interior of the Willoughby Church site. In this work Beniah, a proud Martu woman, communicates images of her Martu Country in Western Australia which speak to us all. The mural features important features of her Dreaming landscape, connecting tracks, footprints, waterholes, communities, sugar ants, and large pulsing representations of spirit, light, and energy. The work has been the catalyst for a lot of new learning, engagement and communication in the congregation.
Blending traditional dot painting with flowing brushwork, the mural expresses movement, belonging, renewal and hope. It invites all who enter this place to remember that we walk together on sacred land - connected to one another, to creation and to the Spirit of God. The flowing blue river winds upward through the artwork, symbolising the River of God - the source of life that sustains all people as we travel through life together and are drawn toward heaven. The river also speaks of the deep connection between lands and peoples across Australia. The same water flows through Newman in Western Australia and Willoughby in New South Wales.
The meeting place symbols represent people gathering together in community, connected through story, journey and belonging. Connected by footprints, they show people travelling together across the land - people from many cultures and many places, sharing one country and one Creator. The artwork reflects the belief that although our journeys are different, we are all connected and sustained by God. The swirling waterhole offers a place of refreshment, where travellers pause to drink deeply, rest and reconnect. Around the river are signs of life and abundance: autumn colours, honey ants, emu tracks and symbols of the natural world. The large pulsing circles represent the living spirit and energy of the land - a reminder that creation is alive with the presence of God, and that humanity shares this living land with all creatures.
If you would like to contact Beniah, or discuss a commission, contact Beniah Brooks (currently in Western Australia) at 0474455487 or Robyn Moloney 0431896039 robynamoloney@gmail.com
Beniah Brooks and Rev Ingrid Robertson with Beniah's column mural