Venessa Possum

I am a Dharug artist based in Gulamada – the Blue Mountains. My art is founded in experiential creative practices, including collecting site specific material cultures and imprinting these with Ancestral values. I am passionate about developing an immersive regional curatorial practice to echo these practices as well as strengthening my sense of cultural belonging. Artworks made on my Homelands include Dhalang language and elements of poetic storytelling to create powerful and meaningful connections. My ultimate goal is to centre Ngurra bayali (Country speaking) wherever my art takes me.

My artist residency at Wayout Artspace highlighted ways of being in Dabee Country as a Dharug visitor with connections to Wiradjuri Country through Mandagary, on my matriarchal line. Experiencing Dabee Country included being welcomed by Custodians and more-than-human ecologies. I extended my bush dye practice with buran (stringybark) and Dabee rainwater collected during my residency. These signify an archive being presented with a poetic video documenting my sense of connectedness.