Mix Dreaming Larrakia & Tiwi Connections
Vibrant artwork by local artist Fabian McLennan now features on one of our street sweepers.
The piece, titled Mix Dreamings of Larrakia & Tiwi Connections, brings together elements of Fabian’s identity and cultures, honouring both his Larrakia and Tiwi roots.
Fabian’s bold illustration brings together elements from his cultures: bush turkey tracks, dangalaba (crocodiles), eggs, and ceremonial spears – each symbol rich in meaning and deeply connected to Country. The artist creates all his works using pens and markers on paper. City of Darwin’s Arts Team worked with his original artwork to enlarge into a design for our new sweeper and become a moving canvas!
In the piece you will see:
- animal prints – representing hunting for Bush Turkeys
- dangalaba (Crocodile) – representing hunting on Larrakia Country
- boomerangs for hunting and ceremony Tiwi spears – acknowledging his Tiwi cultural connection, for ceremonies and stories
One of Fabian’s dangalaba’s from this artwork, is also featured on a new series of our library cards.
Meet the Artist
Fabian is a Larrakia man through his father and Gurindji through his mother. He was born and raised in Darwin and is a survivor of Cyclone Tracy. His late father, Larrakia Elder George McLennan, was a member of the Stolen Generations and given the name ‘Pompa’ by the Tiwi community — a name passed on to Fabian.
A self-taught artist, Fabian uses only pens and markers to create his distinctive style. Living with an intellectual disability doesn’t stop him from creating his drawings and Fabian enjoys telling stories through his art. His work has been widely recognised, including as a finalist in the 18th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in 2001.
Photographer: Helspix
