Chenaya Bancroft-Davis
I am a Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr woman from Northern New South Wales, though I currently reside in Brisbane. As a child I always loved to paint and draw. I grew up in a family of artists with my greatest influence being my mother, so it seemed inevitable that I too would become an artist someday.
In 2013 I completed my Undergraduate degree in Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at Griffith University, Queensland College of Art. On completion of my Undergraduate degree I gained a better understanding of my own cultural background and history as well as that of my community. The program empowered me to learn more about my Aboriginal heritage, and to share that knowledge through artistic expression.
I use lino printing as a way of conveying stories because the process of carving linoleum is not unlike the traditional incising of designs onto sculpture and domestic objects.
I endeavour to use my work to engage people, young and old, in stories as they serve as a reminder of the need to protect non-material culture. Art creates and connects us to our culture.
With investigation into my family history and referencing the poems written down and told by my Nan, I have recorded her stories and ideas as a way of sharing memories and rejuvenating a remarkable history.