Jessi Rebel on Art, Connection, Oceans and Country

Interview by Aidan Ormond

 

If you’re looking for a spark of inspiration, Jessi Rebel is the perfect person to turn to. She radiates positivity and joy, and it’s that vibrant spirit – along with her deep connection to Country and the ocean – that makes her art so captivating.

Jessi is a proud Wiradjuri woman who now calls Wadawurrung Country home. She grew up on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, on Biripi Country actually, before moving to the Surf Coast of Victoria eight years ago.

It’s no surprise that she’s also an avid surfer. In fact, when we caught up with her on a particularly windy Melbourne morning, she’d been enjoying some impressive waves.

Her artistic journey includes creating stunning murals and developing engaging art programs for youth and the community.

What’s more, we at Local Peoples are thrilled to feature one of Jessi’s works, ‘Poems of the Shore,’ in our upcoming Reconciliation Action Plan. This piece was inspired by her walks along the Barwon River in Wadawurrung Country.

Jessi’s work truly reflects her passion and connection to the land and sea, making it all the more special.

We began by asking Jessi about her cultural background and how it influences her art…

“I am a proud Aboriginal person from Wiradjuri Country. My family comes from a place called Brungle. I’ve grown up away from Country but connected to culture through my Aunty Lisa Evans, an artist and the knowledge holder of my family.

My art is a reflection of my connection to my culture in that I pay respects to traditional artistic practice but have adapted my own style based on my own stories and experiences. My art reflects being connected to Country and to self and what those connections mean to me.

How does your connection to Country and the ocean manifest in your artworks? Can you give us specific examples?

I believe being connected to Country and Sea Country are essential for health and wellbeing. They have energies, rhythms, and stories that when we are still and being with them, we can recognise the vital connection between ourselves and these places.

My artworks often depict flowing lines and that’s because when I look around me, whether that’s when I’m walking around or out in the ocean I see and feel all these lines, this interconnectedness of myself and the world around me. They are pathways of being, of knowing, of learning.

Your Aunty Lisa Evans sounds like an amazing person, and you have cited her as a major inspiration. What lessons or insights has she shared that have shaped your artistic journey?

My Aunty has painted for as long as I can remember and has worked hard to develop her own style and way of storytelling through her art. She’s always been available to me for asking questions and sharing and honestly, some of the most important things she has taught me have been basic things like, “always paint the background first.”

She has also always just encouraged me to find my own style, to make art that is authentic to me and when I was younger I used to ask her to paint artworks for me and she would just say, “paint something for yourself,” like she knew I had it in me and was just gently encouraging me to get into it.

It’s funny now, like she’ll be calling me up asking for advice with different things that I’ve done and wanting to know how I’ve done it but that’s the beauty of it, like a sharing and learning that I really enjoy about making art and being immersed in creative communities.

How do you hope your artwork contributes to the conversation around reconciliation?

I think the more I create, the more I want my artworks to evoke reflection for those who engage with it on history and truth-telling and the role of self in the present day and future. Reconciliation begins with understanding the truth of the past, integrating that knowledge into the present and actively engaging in ways that positively impact the future.

My art has predominantly been focused on my connection to self and Country but I have been planning and dreaming up ways of creating works that challenge people when they see them. I want my artworks to not just be “beautiful,” but I want them to cause those engaging with them to really think about the ways in which they can be supporting Indigenous people and not perpetuating the narratives and experiences of the past.

Can you share a specific piece that is particularly meaningful to you? What is its story?

A piece I feel most connected to is called “Baladhu Murangurra” which translates to “I am alive,” in Wiradjuri. I painted this piece in a time of my life when I was feeling really overwhelmed, kind of drowning in life.

As a surfer, I find a deep connection to the ocean and learn a lot from my time out there. This piece was a reflection on the times in my life where I feel like I’m deep under the surface, being tossed around and not sure where to go. It’s a reminder to take the time to pause, take a big breath and look for the light, swim towards the surface and find the calm.

It’s easy to panic or become disorientated in life and this is my reminder that it’s okay to go through those moments but there is always the surface to reach, the light to swim towards.

This piece is special too because a lot of other people have connected to it in different ways and I think that’s the beauty of art – it might mean something for me, and for someone else, they have found their own connection to it and it helps them in its own way.

How do you see the role of Indigenous art in promoting understanding and respect for Indigenous cultures?

Indigenous art is a visual representation of stories and knowledge from all over the Country. Story-telling is one of the most powerful tools in the world so when you engage with Indigenous art, you’re immersing yourself in story, in truth, in knowledge.

It’s an insight into culture and the beautiful, sacred, and sometimes difficult experiences that Indigenous people face. I think Indigenous art should be at the forefront of all gallery spaces, with an aim to showcase and promote the local Indigenous community and their stories through art. I’ve been a part of a couple of First Nation exhibitions and it’s just such a powerful experience with so many stories and culture in one place.

What challenges have you faced as an Indigenous artist, and how have you overcome them?

I feel lucky in that I haven’t personally faced any challenges worth mentioning but I know there’s a lot of amazing Indigenous artists who have had to deal with experiences of non-Indigenous artists or businesses stealing their designs or just blatantly copying their work.

There’s a huge issue with non-Indigenous people creating art that is “inspired by” Aboriginal art but it’s really just cultural appropriation.

How do you engage with your community through your art, and what impact do you hope to make?

Recently, through my own artistic practice and my studies (Bachelor of Arts Therapy) I have found new opportunities for engaging with community in different capacities. I have been expanding my creative practice to include mural work and this has so far included several collaborations with local schools and youth groups to create an artwork that represents something to that particular group.

I find this work really rewarding, especially working with young people as it provides a space for them to express themselves creatively and “leave a mark” in a space where they feel connected to. The murals usually involve a collaborative design process and I get them involved in the painting process as much as possible (it can get messy) but I also use this as an opportunity to share my skills and knowledge with them and this is really important to me as a creative person. I view my creativity as an opportunity to connect people.

What advice would you give to young Indigenous artists looking to express their culture through their work?

Paint in a way that is authentic to you and who you are. There’s lot of artists out there doing amazing work and I think it can become really easy to get caught up in painting the same way as someone else or comparing your work to theirs but the most beautiful and authentic art comes from your connection to yourself, bringing your own stories and experiences to life through your art.

If you’re too busy focusing on what everyone else is doing, you’ll have no time for what you could be doing. Make art, make mistakes, make connections, and most importantly, have fun.

Art is an expression of self and that should always be the focus.