Kgari 3 Sisters co-owner Susan Reys has been selling her Aboriginal artwork at CIAF for the past 10 years. Photo: Supplied.
Going into a decade of sharing her paintings and ceramic works at the annual Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), Kgari 3 Sisters co-owner Susan Reys is a familiar face at the event’s bustling art market.
Ms Reys’ passion for meeting and speaking with art enthusiasts will fit well with the 15th anniversary CIAF theme – Country Speaking.
“I get to meet the people who are going to take home my piece of artwork and hang it on their wall, I get to listen to why they want this artwork and why they appreciate it, and I get the opportunity to share my story, my history, and my culture,” she said.
“In that same conversation, I get to listen to their story, and I love those moments when I hear we have a shared story.
“The people that come have an appreciation of Aboriginal artwork and want to support the communication and storytelling of Aboriginal culture.”
As a proud Guugu Yimithirr and Badtjala woman, Ms Reys’ works are inspired by her connection to Cape York and K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, as well as her passion for colour blending.
“My artwork is full of colour – it usually goes from one extreme, which is fully saturated, to another, which is soft pastels,” the artist explained.
“I will always paint a three sisters story, which was given to me by my father; I have a signature design of the creation story, I always paint the three lores, and I always paint a signature design I have for traditional healing.
“I also always paint something symbolic of women healing on Country, because me and my sister work with women and others in community about how to connect to Country.”
This strong passion for connection to Country came after a pivotal moment in the late 1990s that changed Ms Reys’ artistic style from realism.
“When we got the deeds back to our land, my uncle, Vincent Coates, showed us all of our land that was returned back to us,” she said.
“My mum showed us an ancient practice, which was to put our hand on the land, pick up the sand and let the sand run through our hands, introducing ourselves to Country.
“That was a really pivotal moment for me, because I found a sense of belonging that I just longed for my whole life, and that truly inspired me to change my artwork.”
The 2024 edition of CIAF will be held this week in Cairns from 25-28 July.
