I’m Rhonda Duncan, my Aboriginal name is Brukgin, my skin is Gamanyjan. My mother is a Millwarparra woman, and her language is Ngalakgan. My father is Ritharrŋu from north-east Arnhem Land. I like to paint the land and all the animals, and birds. When you look at Country it’s really open, you can get anything you need from that land. But we have to take proper care of that Country, look after that place, the river, billabong, every little thing in that land, my mother’s Country. All these places where I have painted remind me of our ancestors and you can feel their spirit. When you go there you can feel them there watching what you’re doing. You can have that special thing inside you, that feeling, a sort of grieving.
When I was young, we used to go out with mum and dad but I never was bothered to be an artist. I used to see my mum and dad be artists, my sisters and brothers too. One day I asked all my brothers and sisters to teach me, but they all growled ‘no we don’t want to teach you, learn your own way”. After that I started drawing, carving, painting, doing my own style.
