Mandy Nicholson, with daughters Dharna, left, and Ky-ya, was over the moon when she found out she had been short-listed for the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards. Picture: Meagan Rogers.
By Sarah Schwager
HAMPTON Park’s Mandy Nicholson is waiting with bated breath after she was short-listed for the Victorian Indigenous Art Awards.
The Koori artist runs her own business distributing her artwork.
She recently found out her business had been chosen along with three others in the KBN Business of Art Award – a new category of the prestigious awards.
Ms Nicholson, 31, said her entry was a little bit different from the other entrants, most of which are retail companies.
The single mother of two paints pictures inspired by stories from the Wurundjeri people, runs painting classes and looks after her two daughters, Dharna, seven, and Ky-ya, three.
She has also started doing larger pieces of artwork, including a collaboration with three other artists of 10 bluestone boulders with dreamtime carvings for the City of Melbourne.
Ms Nicholson started to pursue art in high school and began painting seriously when she was 18.
“I am the only one in my family of six kids who is artistic,” she said.
Born in Healesville, and spending a lot of time along the Yarra River, Ms Nicholson said her artwork was of stories that she had been told and memories from when she was a kid, blended with a contemporary interpretation.
She said in between looking after the kids, the fine detail artwork could take a couple of months to complete.
Arts Minister Mary Delahunty said the awards celebrated, recognised and supported Indigenous artists living and working in Victoria.
“The artists and their entries reflect the depth and diversity of the Indigenous arts sector in Victoria,” she said.
The awards are part of the Victorian Government’s Deadly Arts Business program, a joint initiative of Arts Victoria and the Koori Business Network.
The awards will be announced on Friday, 13 October at Mahoney Galleries and an exhibition of the work will be held at the gallery from 14 to 28 October at 68 Hardware Lane, Melbourne. Telephone: 9642 1095. Entry is free.
