‘Skullcap’ honours Aboriginal servicemen – QAGOMA Blog

Shirley Macnamara lives exterior Mt Isa in North West Queensland in which she runs a thriving cattle assets with her son, and is also immersed in her family’s cultural and political analysis.

In 2013 Macnamara began to make skullcaps, reminiscent of a customary funerary practice for some Aboriginal women in which their heads had been plastered with white clay or burnt gypsum to kind a cap, masking their hair fully. The putting on of this cap could prolong for some time right after a demise, with successive coatings building it weighty and not comfortable for the widow or female relative of the deceased.

In Skullcap 2013 (illustrated), Macnamara does not attempt to imitate the caps observed in museum collections and illustrations, fairly, she intends to honour Aboriginal adult men who represented Australia in two entire world wars, never ever to return to their liked ones. She hopes to guarantee that Aboriginal soldiers are no more time neglected. Skullcap is built from prosperous, pink ochre and is protected with emu feathers, which allude to those employed to enhance Australian soldiers’ uniform hats (illustrated).

Shirley Macnamara ‘Skullcap’

Light-weight Horse slouch hat with emu plume

Acknowledgment of Nation
The Queensland Artwork Gallery | Gallery of Present day Artwork acknowledges the Common Homeowners of the land on which the Gallery stands in Brisbane. We pay regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders earlier and existing and, in the spirit of reconciliation, acknowledge the immense creative contribution Initial Australians make to the art and culture of this state.

It is customary in quite a few Indigenous communities not to point out the name or reproduce pictures of the deceased. All these types of mentions and pictures on the QAGOMA Web site are with permission, even so, treatment and discretion need to be exercised.

Reconciliation Motion Approach
QAGOMA has released its inaugural Reconciliation Motion Approach (RAP) to tutorial its contributions to reconciliation. Watch the 2022–24 RAP.

Highlighted graphic element: Shirley Macnamara Skullcap 2013
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