Big Fin - Yuan Thirrin

By Chernee Sutton                  
Age – 26 years            
Size – 30cm wide X 40cm high          
Medium – Acrylic and textured acrylic on canvas
Floating Frame - Painting comes with the floating frame and free postage Australia wide

Big Fin - Yuan Thirrin

My name is Chern'ee Sutton and I am a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Kalkadoon people from the Mount Isa area in Queensland. This is my interpretation of “Yuan Thirrin” which means “Big Fin” in the Kalkadoon language.

The whale has always been a powerful symbol of strength, unity and movement, a traveller that carries the spirit of the ocean wherever it goes. In this painting, their stories flow through the currents like songlines, connecting one ocean to another, one life to the next.

Each layer of blues and greens reflects the ever-changing moods of the sea, calm shallows, rolling waves, and the mysterious depths below. The flowing lines trace the pathways of migration, symbolising the movement of families, generations and stories passed down through time.

This painting is a story of journey and balance  of finding your place within the vastness of the world, yet knowing you are never alone. It celebrates the strength of community, the wisdom of the sea, and the beauty of continuing paths that weave through both ocean and sky.