Art the remedy for former Dunwich nurse
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18 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS WINTER 2012 FEATURE A s a member of the Stolen Genera- tions, 53-year-old Jill Jensen says that for decades she was locked in her search for identity and be- longing. Now, the former Yulu- Burri-Ba health worker has found solace in her work with Aboriginal artists. “After I met my mum,” Jill told SIN, “I started to make jewellery and then an artist approached me to sell his sarongs and cloth- ing. That’s how I started, very small, and then other artists started contacting me and I started buying their artwork and would sell that for them. It was while working in Dunwich that Jill began her own business, making jewellery, sarongs and clothing, and this has since expanded into manufacturing clothing, bags and other items, adorned with authen- tic Indigenous artworks. She now represents multiple Indigenous artists from across Aus- tralia, including Ipswich born Colin Jones, who is of Kalkadoon and Nunuckle tribal descent. “Everything is made by Australian artists and the idea of the clothing manufacturing business that I’ve just started is to have every- thing made by Aboriginal people again. We get a lot of tourists that come over and they don’t want anything that hasn’t been made in Australia,” Jill told SIN. She has established the Black Swan Dreaming website (www.blackswandream- ing.com) as a space for Indigenous artists to create an online profile and promote their work. “If they’ve got a website, then we put a link to their website, so they have their profile on my website and their contact details as well,” Jill said. “There’s also a place for artists to register if they wish to and we also provide jewellery work- shops as well as clothing and beading workshops.” She is also calling on friends from Minjerribah, who are interested in sewing, to contact her via the Black Swan Dream- ing website. “I know Yulu-Burri-Ba and they’ve got heaps of machines there in the back room demountable. If they were interested I could provide them with the material and they could start making simple stuff like hair scrunchies, pillow cases and curtains,” the former nurse said. “People want hand- made products from our own people and it’s better to promote all of us than get someone overseas making it. It’s far more meaningful if we can do it ourselves and it generates an interest and an income as well as empowerment and confidence.” ART THE REMEDY for former Dunwich nurse It was after being reunited with her birth mother, on the day that Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations, that Jill Jensen’s interest in the Indigenous art scene was sparked. Maria Tan reports. “People want handmade products from our own people and it’s better to promote all of us than get someone overseas making it.”
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It was after being reunited with her birth mother, on the day that Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations, that Jill Jensen’s interest in the Indigenous art scene was sparked.
Transcript of Art the remedy for former Dunwich nurse
18 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS WINTER 2012
FEATURE
As a member of the Stolen Genera-tions, 53-year-old Jill Jensen saysthat for decades she was locked inher search for identity and be-longing. Now, the former Yulu-
Burri-Ba health worker has found solace inher work with Aboriginal artists.
“After I met my mum,” Jill told SIN, “Istarted to make jewellery and then an artistapproached me to sell his sarongs and cloth-ing. That’s how I started, very small, andthen other artists started contacting me andI started buying their artwork and would sellthat for them.
It was while working in Dunwich that Jillbegan her own business, making jewellery,sarongs and clothing, and this has sinceexpanded into manufacturing clothing,bags and other items, adorned with authen-tic Indigenous artworks. She now representsmultiple Indigenous artists from across Aus-tralia, including Ipswich born Colin Jones,who is of Kalkadoon and Nunuckle tribaldescent.
“Everything is made by Australian artistsand the idea of the clothing manufacturingbusiness that I’ve just started is to have every-thing made by Aboriginal people again. Weget a lot of tourists that come over and theydon’t want anything that hasn’t been madein Australia,” Jill told SIN.
She has established the Black SwanDreaming website (www.blackswandream-ing.com) as a space for Indigenous artiststo create an online profile and promotetheir work.
“If they’ve got a website, then we put alink to their website, so they have theirprofile on my website and their contact
details as well,” Jill said. “There’s also aplace for artists to register if they wish to and we also provide jewellery work-shops as well as clothing and beadingworkshops.”
She is also calling on friends from Minjerribah, who are interested in sewing,to contact her via the Black Swan Dream-ing website.
“I know Yulu-Burri-Ba and they’ve gotheaps of machines there in the back room
demountable. If they were interested Icould provide them with the material andthey could start making simple stuff likehair scrunchies, pillow cases and curtains,”the former nurse said. “People want hand-made products from our own people andit’s better to promote all of us than getsomeone overseas making it. It’s far moremeaningful if we can do it ourselves and itgenerates an interest and an income aswell as empowerment and confidence.”
ART THE REMEDY for former Dunwich nurseIt was after being reunited with her birth mother, on the day that Kevin Ruddapologised to the Stolen Generations, that Jill Jensen’s interest in the Indigenous art scene was sparked. Maria Tan reports.
“People wanthandmade productsfrom our ownpeople and it’sbetter to promoteall of us than getsomeone overseasmaking it.”
