Andrea Fisher | TOTEM: A little piece of spirit

A collection of artworks by contemporary Aboriginal artist Andrea Fisher, looking at personal and traditional totems connected to her family and Country. [-O-]

TOTEM is an exhibition that brings together different totems connected to the artist and her practice. Totems are a significant part of Aboriginal culture, and are intrinsic to showing who a person is, and where they come from. 

Each totem is represented by an animal, plant, natural object, or landscape feature and is closely connected to time, place, and people. Sometimes the totem can be a personal one, other times they are connected to family, people, or community.

Totems can also stem from Creation Stories, The Dreaming and the Spiritual World—all connected to The Dreamtime. In this exhibition, Andrea Fisher depicts totems (animals), represented through traditional and contemporary paintings, looking at both 'old and new'. As the artist states, "ultimately, totems connect us to our home, land, or environment, and are inherited by members of a Clan, as their spiritual way of being, and there is a kinship story connected to this.

It is important that we look after and participate in caretaking of totem animals, plants, or natural objects. In most clans you will find that you can not kill or eat your totem. Relationships to the totem can sometimes represent your relational role within your clan (roles and responsibilities)."

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Land in which we are gathered, the Jagera, Yuggera, and Ugarapul People of Tulmur (Ipswich), and pay our respects to the Elders both Past, Present, and Future.