Connecting people to Indigenous culture by immersing them in stories through artistic expression.

Close-up of an artist's hand painting with a brush on a colorful abstract canvas, with three additional brushes resting nearby.

We facilitate meaningful connection to Country for organisations and individuals by providing my cultural perspective and artistic expression.

A man in a plaid shirt and green beanie crouches near a body of water holding a wooden bowl filled with green leaves and emitting white smoke, with trees blurred in the background.

My Studio Practice

“My process to create is to simply express who I am. My work has meaning that nourishes my cultural identity and give me purpose. When I’m creating art I feel a deep connection to my ancestors, my family and the Country I call home. My art is my cultural practice. The expression of my identity.”

Close-up of a hand holding a red and black pencil, drawing on a textured, weathered piece of wood outdoors.
A man with tattoos on his arm painting a colorful, abstract mural on a wall, holding a paintbrush and a container of paint.

Healing Ochre

A man in a checkered shirt looking at an abstract painting on an easel in a rocky canyon with reddish-brown cliffs.

Yordja Methodology: The Story of Country and Cultural Return

Healing Ochre is the physical record of a profound journey and a direct conversation with the land and artist Troy Firebrace. Fundamentally anchored in the spiritual application of ochre. It captures the essence of space that hosts the colours of songs through a deliberate artistic practice centered on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

A make shift brush made out of natural material laying next to flakes of ochre, ready to use for painting.

Healing and Renewal

The profound peace and cultural healing found during this journey were intrinsically linked to the ochre and the stories shared by the Elders. The artwork is a visual testament to the importance of coming back to these important places that hold story and song, validating the Elder's teachings that connection to Country is the starting point for healing.

The artwork stands as a painted reminder, offering the viewer a path to that same feeling of return and renewal. The finished work is the embrace of dance and song, with ochre at its heart, inviting all who encounter it to engage in the continuing legacy of cultural practice and find the healing within its layers.

Close-up of a textured, rusty, and weathered ochre surface with reddish and yellowish hues.
Hands holding shredded bark, collected from Country.
A person is holding a handful of reddish-brown powdered ochre, with another hand holding a stick scraping away at the ochre rock.

Ochre, Process, and Connection to Country

The artistic process was an immersive experiment driven by the desire to embed the environment, specifically ochres, into the medium. The focus was on the cultural and physical healing facilitated by the ochre.

  • Guided Journey: A crucial step involved talking with Elders about Country, specifically to the significant role that ochre plays in cultural identity and healing. This guidance was essential, revealing that the purpose of healing can start by connecting with the Country through the practice of mixing earth with water.

  • Research and Cultural Context: The methodology included deep research into the importance of ochre in ceremony, ensuring the material’s use was culturally informed and respectful of its traditional significance as a key medium for ancestral story and practice.

  • Sourcing and Preparation: The soft, earthy hues were collected from Country, inspiring the acrylic to be mixed, taking on the same colour and form of ochre. The artist spent time drawing and sketching the ochre site itself to capture its earthy texture and its structural pillars.

Hands of a person making a brush from natural material.
Close-up macro shot of ochre being pounded by a rock on a surface.
Close-up of a person's fingers holding a brush while painting an artwork.
Person using ochre to draw an artwork directly onto paper.
A man in a plaid shirt examining painting inside a rocky cave or excavation site.

WORKING WITH FIREBRACE FINE ART

Connecting art enthusiasts to Country through artistic expressions of culturally significant stories, memories and perspectives.

Commissioned Artworks

  • Custom artworks

  • EOI

  • Proposed artworks

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Exhibition

  • Proposed body of work and concept

  • Gallery specific

  • Touring exhibitions

Collection

  • Development of one off pieces

  • Exhibition ready

  • Concept development

  • Artistic development

  • Exclusive

  • Limited run

A man working on a wooden surface with a colorful abstract background.

The Yordja Methodology

Our three practices are unified and defined by the Yordja methodology—a transformative approach that roots all our work in genuine Indigenous knowledge and experience.

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