Jackie Saunders has been awarded the $5000 Don Dunstan Foundation Emerging Artist Prize, in the Adelaide Festival Centre’s 20th OUR MOB exhibition of works by South Australian Aboriginal artists.
Ngarrindjeri Wirangu artist Jackie Saunders is a contemporary artist living on Kaurna land whose work is deeply rooted in her heritage and lived experiences as a person with disability. Jackie describes herself as ‘the daughter of a saltwater woman and a desert dwelling man.’ Her work draws on her strong sense of family and culture. It reflects her connections to both the human and natural world, exploring different weathers – internal and external – and the shape and movement of land, light and water
The Don Dunstan Foundation has been supporting the prize since the early days of OUR MOB, and we were thrilled to award Jackie this year for her beautiful piece, Flow.
“I love doing my art and thinking of my family and country and sharing their stories when I’m painting,” she said.
Jackie, a contemporary Ngarrindjeri and Wirangu artist living on Kaurna land, said she was humbled and proud to receive the award.
“I liked learning about the great work that Don Dunstan had done for our arts community.”
To celebrate the landmark 20th year of OUR MOB, the Adelaide Festival Centre also announced BIGGEST MOB – the centre’s largest ever First Nations program. To check out the program, follow the link below.
You can see Jackie’s work and the rest of the spectacular OUR MOB works in The Galleries at the Festival Theatre until 4 October.
Works by Jackie Saunders
Portrait of Art by Sia Duff
