Marilyn Kepple’s vibrant artworks are keeping her culture and generations of memories alive. Photo: Lovegreen Photography.
A Coen painter is keeping generations of stories and memories alive on canvas at UMI Arts’ final exhibition of the year, The Summer Show.
Wik Mungkan artist Marilyn Kepple was one of 12 First Nations talents showcased when the exhibition opened late last month, treating the Cairns community to her signature colourful style representing the vibrant flora and fauna of Country.
Her works, depicting water lilies, file snakes and jabiru birds, will be available to view at UMI Arts until 20 February 2025.
“Growing up as a child in Coen, my earliest memories are of camping and hunting with my family,” Ms Kepple said.
“My pieces are centred around the animals and the flora, because those are the memories of my childhood and spending time with my family, and I’m telling my story through my artwork.”
Ms Kepple’s eye-catching pieces fit perfectly with The Summer Show’s theme, showcasing the beauty of the Cape’s landscape and its inhabitants after the wet season.
“What I see is what I interpret in my work, so I see a lot of bright colours after wet season,” she said.
“There’s a different feeling after wet season – it’s more happy; it’s like the animals and the landscapes are refreshed.
“When it’s dry, it gets really dry, and you get a different scenery; the animals and the plants don’t look so healthy, but when it’s after the wet season, they’re flourishing again.”
The artist said her paintings were also an amalgamation of the various stories that had been passed onto her by her family, and they have helped her stay connected to her culture.
“There’s stories that have been passed on to me from my brothers and older sister and mother, so that’s my way of interpreting them and showcasing them, and hopefully that can be one way for people to learn about traditional ways of life and how we used to live,” she said.
“Also, because two of my siblings are now deceased, I’d like to keep their memories alive as well and to honour them, because I feel it’s very special that they shared their stories with me before they passed.
“I lived in the Western world for a long time, but I also have that cultural background as well because of how I was brought up and what I was taught, and painting has helped me be connected to Country and to the stories.”
