Life's Journey – Walkaartu

By Brooke Sutton                           
Age – 20 years                             
Size – 151cm wide X 101cm high    
Medium – Acrylic and textured acrylic on canvas

Lifes Journey – Walkaartu

My name is Brooke Sutton and I am a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Kalkadoon people from the Mount Isa area in Queensland. This painting is called “Life’s Journey” which means “Walkaartu” in the Kalkadoon language and it represents each of our unique paths through life.

Life is a journey that is shaped by the different paths we take, the places that we travel to and the people that we meet along the way. In this painting the travelling lines that flow throughout the artwork represents these paths, they remind us that no journey is ever just a straight line. Throughout our lives there are twists and turns, moments of change and new directions that help to shape who we become.

The many community symbols represent the people and places that become part of our story, these are our family, friends, communities and the connections we make along the way. Some of these people and places remain in our lives for many years, while others are a part of our journey for only a short time, but each one leave’s something with us.

The sun and moon represent guidance and time passing by, watching over us as we move through the different chapters of our life. From the brightness of the sun to the quiet light of the moon, there is always something guiding us forward.

The landscapes throughout the painting are a map of the ups, downs and obstacles in our lives, they are the mountains and valleys we face, with every part of the journey having a place in the story of who we become. Together this painting and all the elements throughout it symbolise that life is made up of many different paths, people and experiences that are all truly unique to our own individual journeys.