TIARNIE EDWARDS
OUTLAWS, 2023
Ceramic, underglaze, body stain, and copper oxide.
27 x 11 x 7 cm (standing), 28 x 27 x 7.5 cm (pair), 21 x 12.5 x 15 cm (sitting).
Tiarnie Edwards
Outlaws is a direct response to the multidimensional nature of Indigenous identity and culture within contemporary Australia. Each figure is hand-built in terracotta clay, reflecting the connection between Indigenous peoples and Country in materiality. The works address both the beauty of pre-colonial Indigenous life and the consequences of colonialism on Indigenous lives and practices. I have created an ode to the resilience of Blak culture through the reclamation of symbols such as Captain Cook; addressing the social, economic, and cultural attempts to displace and destroy Indigenous culture. These figures sit as vessels for current Indigenous identities and knowledge, a culmination of research I did whilst making the work. They highlight the determination of Blak peoples and culture to continue, especially as represented through Blak kids today.
This work was created on Kaurna Country.