Fresh, Salt Water Dreaming - Inyalngu, Milyuka Kuu Ritjinguthinha

By Chern’ee Sutton        
Age – 25 years
Medium – Acrylic and raised acrylic on canvas
Size – 151cm wide x 121cm high 

Fresh, Salt Water Dreaming

Inyalngu, Milyuka Kuu Ritjinguthinha

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 painting is my interpretation of “Inyalngu, Milyuka Kuu Ritjinguthinha” which means “Fresh, Salt Water Dreaming” in the Kalkadoon language.

Fresh, Salt Water Dreaming is a story of connection, a celebration of the ocean as a place where life flows together in harmony. Beneath the surface, every movement is part of a greater rhythm. The currents carry ancient stories and traditions and every ripple speaks of unity, balance, and a shared journey.

This painting captures the beauty of togetherness where every creature moves with purpose and every space is filled with colour, light, and life. From the coral gardens to the deepest blues, the ocean holds a delicate balance, a dance of respect, instinct and belonging.

Flowing lines represent the tides and the unseen pathways that link all living things. Community symbols symbolise gathering places where journeys begin, stories are shared, and kinship is honoured. Each brushstroke holds the energy of the sea and the spirit of the connections that live within it. The path of fish which swims through the middle of the painting represents the barramundi who swim downstream year after year from the fresh water back to their ocean home.

This is not just a glimpse into the underwater world, it is a reflection of what it means to move through life side by side, guided by nature, grounded in culture, and held together by something greater than ourselves.