Yondee Shane Hansen
Yondee Shane Hansen is a distinguished Noongar artist, born in 1964 in Dumbleyung, situated 270 kilometres south of Perth in the southwestern region of Western Australia. He acquired foundational knowledge from his father, who imparted lessons in hunting and sand drawing. Furthermore, visits to his aunts living along the Swan River afforded him opportunities to gather paper bark, which they used in their artistic pursuits. These formative experiences constituted the foundation of his artistic education, as older relatives, revered for their paper bark paintings, served as his earliest instructors.
Regarding his contemporary artistic practice, Yondee Shane Hansen expressed, "I create sand paintings by sourcing sand from the creeks. The sand has a smoother texture after meticulous washing to remove salt. After numerous washes and sieving, it becomes suitable for artistic application when mixed with paint. The combination of black and white sand in my paintings conveys a simple yet potent message."
As a seasoned artist, Yondee Shane Hansen has honed techniques for employing sand and ochres to depict the narratives and legends of his people. In addition to these traditional portrayals, he produces intricate figurative works that tackle themes such as mission life, hunting, and wildlife. Despite their abstract characteristics, his works encapsulate a narrative essence. Yondee draws from the knowledge of ground paintings imparted by his grandfather during his youth and aspires to preserve and elevate these art forms. He maintains that translating these concepts into sand paintings honours their origins and broadens their appeal to new audiences. His bush name, Yondee, translates to Black Goanna. Moreover, Yondee Shane Hansen has collaborated with the Campfire group of Aboriginal artists in Brisbane and has exhibited his artwork in a variety of galleries across Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, as well as internationally in the United States, the Czech Republic, and Ireland.
About the artwork
In this painting, Shane paints the traditional Waterhole Dreaming. The waterholes are filled with an abundance of water, allowing nearby animals to drink in the dry season.
