Little Big Galbang (“Woman” in Dunghutti language)

Little Big Galbang celebrates matriarchy and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. Wanita and her daughter Nioka are proud Dunghutti/Birripi women who honour the stories of their elders alongside their own journeys.

Nioka credits her mum for teaching her to create with purpose, to embed meaning in each work, and to carry family stories forward. Their family has been deeply affected by both the Stolen and Forgotten Generations, strengthening their commitment to record and preserve their history through art.

Showing these works at Parliament House is deeply significant. Sydney has been a much needed home away from home. Wanita, after growing up in foster care in Leeton, found community here in the early ’90s and It’s where she stepped into her identity as an artist through Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative. Nioka soon joined her and surrounded by strong cultural mentors, they learned to trust in their voices and their own creativity.

In 2024, founding member Dr Bronwyn Bancroft AM invited them to exhibit in a Mother–Daughter show along with other artists from the co-operative. The works were later presented at IDAIA Gallery in Paris, a life-changing moment that planted the seed for this exhibition. Wanita’s artwork from that show is included in this one, Urban Aboriginal Woman, and Nioka has since created an updated version of her artwork, Water Woman.

They hope audiences take away the importance of storytelling through art and the strength within that. As Dunghutti/Birripi women, as contemporary artists, and as mother and daughter they are grateful and proud to be where they are now and this exhibition is very much a celebration of that. When you look at their works, they hope you feel the thread running through them: culture, history, and the joy of being here together.