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Saretta Fielding: The Influence of Art

I’M DRAWN TO THE CHALLENGE OF USING ART TO CONVEY CONTEMPORARY INFLUENCES...

Saretta Fielding has had an extensive journey in Indigenous art, culture and Country, both as an artist and commercial designer, and a proud Indigenous woman. Saretta is a Wonnarua woman: a brilliant artist, her Aboriginal culture, Country and community are deeply ingrained in every facet of her fine artworks and designs.

Saretta is very passionate about sharing the unique culture of Australia’s First Nations people through authentic, engaging and thought-evoking artwork. Through her corporate and private commissions she creates artworks or designs that she says “strengthens my connection to my Country and to my people”. She looks at each art work as a way to make a connection to those who curate and collect her works, wherever they live and whatever their personal cultural heritage is. Saretta’s art is loved all over the world.

Saretta’s passion and love of art started long before she launched Saretta Art and Design in 2016. As a child she loved to paint, draw and experiment with diverse art mediums.

“I’m drawn to the challenge of using art to convey contemporary influences – the challenges facing my community, the beauty of nature, and the experiences of life,” she says.

Saretta’s main medium uses her favoured sand-based media and millennia-old engraving techniques. Her art pays homage to traditional Wonnarua sand engravings, which are still to be found today throughout the Hunter region in NSW, Australia. Each highly textured piece embodies the enduring style, designs and totems ancient engravings, adding a striking dimension to her contemporary pieces.

The strong desire for economic inclusion via Aboriginal art is a commitment very dear to Saretta’s heart. Her involvement in initiatives in the arts that contribute to Closing the Gap is a high priority in creating a platform for Indigenous and non- Indigenous Australians to move forward together. In 2016, Saretta Art and Design established the Malang Indigenous Corporation, a not-for-profit organisation championing social investment in our communities by nurturing and supporting emerging and established Indigenous artists and designers from around Australia.

Saretta Fielding has definitely paved a strong path into the international and Australian art scene with heart and soul that is visible and intentional in every art piece she creates.

Written by LARA LUPISH