Key Points
- Jenna Lee is a Filipino-Chinese-Japanese-Irish-Scottish-Larrakia artist.
- Out of respect, Larrakia Jenna Lee says she 'could never and would never' attempt dot painting.
- Lee shared that her cultural pride is as much about gratitude as it is about survival.
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Indiginoy Ep 5: Larrakia artist na may dugong Pinoy, ginagamit ang mga obra sa paghilom nang nakaraang trauma
SBS Filipino
02/08/202415:08
“I grew up with and around Asian-Aboriginals. It’s interesting that not a lot of people are aware that marriages between Aboriginal people were [once controlled by the state]; so often, Asians and Aboriginals got together,” Jenna Lee shared.
The Melburnian is a Filipino-Chinese-Japanese-Irish-Scottish-Larrakia artist who honours her diverse heritage through paper sculptures.
‘My centre of understanding’
Lee has always been aware of her Filipino heritage – her family made sure of it.
"We still have family in the Philippines. I remember a couple of my uncles have gone to reunions there and they played the didgeridoo for the rest of the family.
"I saw through the family ... and it's something that I've seen as well ... it's when you mention you have Filipino ancestry to Filipinos, the bond is instant.
You're immediately family. They tell you they're proud of you. It's beautiful.Jenna Lee, artist
Lee shared that her family is her "centre of understanding" from which she developed a sense of self, while also taking into account the different cultures she belonged to.
“It’s part of Aboriginal culture to know where you’re from, and my dad talked to us about every aspect of where we came from.
Jenna Lee and her parents Credit: Jenna Lee
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"My dad’s brother, Gary Lee, wrote a play about our family entitled ‘Keep Him My Heart: A Larrakia – Filipino Love Story’.
It talks about us, the Cubillo family, a last name that is known in our community. It's the largest Larrakia family name in Darwin.Jenna Lee, artist
Lee shared that she had always looked up to her Uncle Gary's career and practice.
"Many of my aunties and uncles are artists and creatives; so it made me realise that art was always an option for us.
"When I was around 12 years old and living in Darwin, I remember attending one of my Uncle Gary's exhibition openings. It was amazing and I met such wonderful people. I was always an artistic kid and that was an eye-opener. It made me want to be part of that world one day."
Even as a child, Jenna Lee has always been into the arts. Credit: Jenna Lee
A protocol to art
For Lee, part of being in that world meant showing respect to a well-known Aboriginal style of art by not attempting to do it.
"I use protocol in my practice and I ask myself every time I do art if what I am doing is authentic to me and my experiences.
"Art in our community changes across regions and there is not one style.
For example, out of respect, I could never and would never do dot art because that is a mark-making practice from the desert and we are from the coast.Jenna Lee, artist
"In our community, we have what is commonly called the 'x-ray' style...a lot more cross-hatching and more of pictorial images of animals and plants.
While the art of our community is beautiful, it is not for me. I wanted to create art that felt authentically me as well as honours where I come from."
In the process of finding, she rediscovered paper craft, which her mother had taught her.
Mum taught us how to make recycled paper when I was younger. I realised that I could also do that in my workJenna Lee, artist
"I'm also a graphic designer and do book covers for predominantly First Nations authors; so using paper as my main material made a lot of sense to me."
The most personal of art pieces Lee has created are cultural objects made of pulp paper that represent Asian-Aboriginal Australians and stories of colonisation.
"I sometimes make quite small, intimate objects or I will work with very large installations and have them revolve around a shared Larrakia word. There are also bodies of work or installations that have family histories. My work with language has become a bit more focused."
Lee shared that not only does her work speak of the past, but she seeks to represent the future.
I'm lucky to be a part of the Aboriginal art community.Jenna Lee, artist
"I'm constantly applying for things and I'm excited to be working with curators who specialise in Southeast Asian art, who see the experience of migration and diaspora from the perspective of an Asian-Aboriginal descendant."
Our legacy
Lee shared that her cultural pride has a lot to do with not only gratitude for who came before her, but of her need to make sure what she holds dear survives.
"My parents' and grandparents' generations had to fight so hard to be considered equal.
"Part of our survival was maintaining that strength of connection. People had to do either two things - hide who they were or band together. Fortunately, my family was always big enough that banding together was an option.
"People need to understand that their stories matter. We are in this country and our stories are connected. For whatever reason, our family ended up here. We look at that and understand it. Knowing where we come from is a beautiful thing."
