Artist completes SAM Drawing Wall

TALENT... Artist, Troy Firebrace, with SAM curator and community engagement (Indigenous) officer, Belinda Briggs, at the SAM drawing wall at Riverlinks Eastbank. Photo: Struan Jones

INDIGENOUS Australian art is an evolving discipline stretching back an incomprehensible number of generations, and Shepparton-born Troy Firebrace stands at a forefront of its multi-faceted evolution.

The young artist, now living in Bendigo, is the 39th and final artist to make his mark on the Shepparton Art Museum’s drawing wall – a series of commissioned, temporary wall-based drawings enlivening the foyer space of Riverlinks Eastbank.

The work is inspired by his experiences growing up in Shepparton and with his family on the banks of the Kaiela (Goulburn) and the Dungala (Murray River).
Troy’s piece is striking.

It’s 12m x 4m. You’ve got to stand right back, or walk alongside it, to actually take it in.
“Opportunities like this don’t normally come along, not every day,” Troy said.
“I grew up here and it’s nice to do something for the town. I’ve always wanted to do a massive artwork for this town, and somewhere prominent as well.

“So, an opportunity like this is not only perfect for me as an artist but also as someone who grew up here.”

SAM curator and community engagement (Indigenous) officer, Belinda Briggs, said the wall space between the old SAM and Riverlinks is an ideal spot for such a work of art.

“The space is used for this purpose, to have these conversations, and highlight the various perspectives and stories and inspirations that artists want to focus on,” she said.

It would be folly to try to describe this piece of Troy’s work here and to do it justice. So, in his own words:
“The idea was to create an organic figure with the digital platform,” he said.
The image blends a geometric pattern of lines and angles behind a series of bold river-like lines that could be a river, could be the roots of trees that hang into the river, or could be the tree itself.

Troy’s work is on display to the public at Riverlinks Eastbank at 70 Welsford St, Shepparton until late June. Check out his work at firebracedesigns.com.