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Tassie Tiger
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I, Tassie Tiger, am a Tasmanian Aborigine. I was born in Hobart and spent my childhood in Tasmania. I have spent my adult life living on the 'mainland'. My husband's family on both his mother's and father's side are from tribes native to the Hunter Valley in N.S.W. where I now live. We are both active members of a local land councils as well as other Koori organizations.
Despite my age I only started painting around 5 years ago. I never felt I was any good at 'European style' painting; nor did I ever feel any urge to pursue that field. I had learnt the basis of Aboriginal art as a teenager in Tasmania, which I found enjoyable as well as a connection with. In recent years I have felt a need to express my aboriginality and one way I do this is by means of my art. I have avoided having any formal lessons in painting as I want my work to stay as Aboriginal as possible and also to express my soul as a Tasmanian Aborigine. No local artists share my heritage; and I want my art to be as original as possible.
Many of my painting express the love I have for all living things (which is shared by most Aboriginal people). I am filled with awe by the great beauty of my homeland. Having had a chance to visit many parts of the world has just increased by appreciation for how beautiful Tasmania is. I am proud of the rock engravings and art done in times past by my ancestors. I am also inspired by the wonderful cave art of my husband's people. His family have an unbroken connection with their land; and I now share their connection and feeling of belonging. Poems and events of history often instill in me a desire to paint. I also wish to dispel the myth that we Tasmanian are an extinct people. I know what I am. I paint the way I do because of who I am. I am proud of my heritage; no one can take that away from me. I also wish my art to educate people worldwide regarding Tasmania's beauty, flora, fauna and history. All my paintings are an example of that desire. I wish people to see and appreciate the many different styles of traditional Aboriginal art.
Despite my limited experience I have quickly gained acceptance as an artist in the local community. As soon as I started painting I began entering works in competitions. Almost all of these are for general art with no indigenous section. (I believe our art can compete with any other form.) All my works have been accepted despite some stiff guidelines for entry. I won my first prize two years after I started painting. I have been awarded prizes at competitions for my art. This has been at competitions for Aboriginal art as well as general art categories for which I am probably the proudest as I often feel out art is at a disadvantage in most competitions. My paintings have been hung, by requests, at art galleries in the area & I have owners of my art in 3 different continents. I operate my own web site which not only gives local artists from the area an opportunity to display their work, but contains much information about Aboriginal history & culture in general as I which to educate as many persons as possible about the richness of our culture & what I consider, with pride, to be my heritage.
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