Glennys Briggs
Outreach Coordinator, Burraja Gallery
Glennys Briggs is a Tunguwurung/ Yorta Yorta/ Wiradjuri elder from Victoria who lived in Queensland for approximately 12 years, and now is back to her home state. She grew up on her father’s country, on an Aboriginal Reserve called Cummeragunja on the banks of the Murray River in New South Wales. She was the forth generation to live and grow up on the reserve. Glennys lived there until the age of 14 years. Her father Hartley Briggs and uncle Aaron Briggs were both proud Aboriginal men who taught her about the land and culture. She also learnt from her mother and grandmother about bush medicine and living off the land, and was also told stories from her childhood and about her ancestors. She was very fortunate to grow up with family that still held knowledge of cultural information that was passed down to her.
Her artwork has been based around the stories that have been passed down through her family for generations. She has a very strong link to her cultural heritage and has reached the age where she feels that her knowledge needs to be passed on to her grandchildren, great grandchild and the community. She uses her art to teach family and the wider community about her culture and the issues facing them.
Glennys has worked in the area of Aboriginal Health and Welfare for approximately 20 years. With no formal training, ten years ago she began practicing as an artist, followed every avenue that would improve her practice as an artist. Her art practice consists of Printmaking, Painting in acrylics, Possum. Skin Cloak making, Sculptural pieces and assemblages. She has exhibited in numerous exhibitions and has been the finalist and recipient of art awards. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Contemporary Indigenous Art at the Queensland College of the Arts, Griffith University. This has provided an opportunity for her to investigate the use of a variety of media, particularly print making and to also to delve deeper into her cultural history. This has enriched all aspects of her art but her main concern was to look for that cultural and historical information important to her. She has research old archives and data collections with many layers of cultural history, collected and forgotten. On completion of her degree she continue this practice of researching, collecting and uncovering further information to take her knowledge and art practices out into her community .
In this role, Glennys is leading the Burraja Gallery Independence Project.
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