Bonni Ingram is the 2017-2020 Artist in Residence at the Carnarvon Aartlab.

Bonni created the artwork for a range of works produced by Sabrina Dowling Giudici, on various fabrics in linen, silk and organic cotton. New creations include her emu egg series and silk works for fashion and interior design. Bonni introduced her newly developed motif called ‘flying over country’. This innovative motif has been produced across her entire range of artwork fabrics. 

Bonni says:

I acknowledge the first people of this Country - I pay my respects to the Elders past and present, for they hold the stories and history of this Country.  It is a privilege to be here as an Indigenous Artist.

As a contemporary Aboriginal artist what really grabs me is how water is captured, and the land, and how my Indigenous art and its meaning are shared. My Yamatji Dad was always painting and carving culturally - inspiring me to follow him and interpret my grandmother’s country which is Badimia. 

This influences me to use colours more profusely due to the local botany of the Midwestthat is extraordinarily infused with the colours of the native flowers. My preference is to move colours on a huge scale. It is the optimal expression of my work because it’s the only way I myself can bring out the meaning for my audiences - pushing my expression to the limits; challenging the viewer to enter deeper appreciation of the meaning of my Country - a cultural gift to be shared; luring them through the boldness of colour and scale - these are intertwined and essential together.

I say to other artists coming up - don’t be afraid to experiment, see what others are doing - push your boundaries. You keep changing and that’s important - don’t give up. Art is a part of me - it brings out of me Culture, my knowledge for sharing. The key to your art career is collaboration like I enjoy with Sabrina Dowling Giudici and Anton Blume and I am grateful for this. Find who you can work with professionally; get the business part right.