Everything is connected, and I am connected to it.
Ngiaga (I/I am) is a collaborative series of mixed media works created with other First Nations artists, with whom I share a close relationship. Together, we explore interconnected stages of life through 10 themes: Birth, Connection, Heritage, Culture, Community, Society, Lived Experience, Mother Earth, Spirituality, and Purpose (Life Path). These works reflect the stages we move through, not only as individuals, but as part of a collective experience shaped by culture, connection, and community.
Deeply autobiographical, the series holds space for personal resonance and shared memory. Each piece draws from lived experience and cultural knowledge, grounded in spirituality, Country, and genealogy. Through this lens, Ngiaga (I/I am) becomes both a personal reflection and a cultural map—honouring what we inherit, what we carry, and what we pass on.
This exhibition invites audiences to witness, reflect, and connect—to see life as a continual thread woven through identity, kinship, and spirit.
About the Artist
Leilani Dewis
I am a 22-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Jervis Bay, currently based in Canberra. I hold deep cultural ties and responsibilities to the Yuin, Bundjalung, Wuthathi, and Boigu Island.
Growing up within an Aboriginal community and living on Country has deeply shaped my relationship with the ocean, animals, culture, and community. These experiences have instilled a strong passion for caring for and protecting Country, grounded in cultural knowledge and community values.
My connection to culture continues to inspire and influence creative work, with my art serving as both a reflection of identity and a way to honour and share the stories of my people.
Images
Untitled (detail) by Leilani Dewis
Untitled (detail) by Leilani Dewis
Untitled (detail) by Leilani Dewis
Untitled (detail) by Leilani Dewis
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