2020 IB Extended Essays

psychologically overwhelming like the displacement from country, institutionalisation or/and abuse is not easily done. Nor can the glance or an intense gaze at a fiercely detailed artwork that describes personal histories remove the suffering which generations of Indigenous peoples will have to continue to endure. The production or presentation of such artworks, however, are tools for progression and gestures of promise into a positive future that will hopefully work to provide equal opportunities to young Indigenous peoples.

The artworks produced by many contemporary Indigenous artists isn’t only

contingent on Indigeneity, the culture’s histories or personal experiences.

Contemporary Aboriginal art has a focus on creating a bridge for communication between cultures. When art provides the knowledge of Aboriginal history, the generational trauma that exists and the continuation of this trauma allows for a non- Indigenous audience to have better understanding of the achievements and persistent problems which exist for the culture. Educating non-Indigenous Australians through visual productions assists in creating a future where Australia collectively can allow for cultures to live together without discrimination and heal the trauma that has been carried from the past.