"Gnamma Holes" Diptych by Shane YONDEE Hansen

Mixed Media on Canvas

ARTIST: Shane YONDEE Hansen

TITLE: Gnamma Holes

SIZE: Individually: 76 x 38 cm / Together: 76 x 76cm

Yondee (Shane Hansen) is a Noongar man from Western Australia. He was born in 1964 in Dumbleyung, 270 km south of Perth. The name Dumbleyung is derived from the Aboriginal word 'Dambeling ', meaning large lake, and refers to the lake nearby, which is the largest in southwest WA. Yondee remembers this lake from childhood and being told stories of the Wagal (rainbow snake).

He was told about hunting and shown sand drawings by his father. Around the age of ten, he would travel to visit his aunties on the Swan River and collect paper bark to help them with their artwork. It was here that he began learning about art from his older relatives, who are known for their paintings on paper bark.
He is an experienced and accomplished artist who is developing a way of working with sand and ochres to depict the stories and legends of his people. He also paints detailed figurative works based on mission life, hunting, and animals. His works are abstract in their presentation but narrative in their content. He wishes to continue his grandfather's stories. He learned these stories and images as ground paintings, so he feels that translating them into sand paintings does them justice and brings them to new audiences.

Talking about his art practice today, Yondee Shane Hansen says: “I make sand paintings, collecting sand from the creeks. You have to wash it to get the salt out, but the sand is different out of the creeks; it's smoother, and it’s good to use. When I make sand paintings using black and white, or bold colours, it gives a simple, strong message.”

Symbols in Aboriginal sand art are significant features of the continuous depiction of communication between the Great Spirits of the ancestors and humans. They tell the story of the “Dreamtime” myth, which signifies the creation of the Aboriginals as well as their history and culture.

Meanings of Symbols in Aboriginal sand art

Aboriginal art symbols are significant because they mark sacred sites, indicate the location of a waterhole, point to a certain place, or illustrate Dreamtime stories. Aboriginal people travel often to distant lands. Events that occurred during these travels and rituals performed were recorded in sand and body paintings, thus preserving traditional Aboriginal art and culture. There are several symbols seen in these paintings. Here are some examples with their corresponding meanings:

• Concentric circles. These are very common symbols in Aboriginal sand art because the circles depict the Dreamtime stories. However, the symbols are quite hard to understand. A deeper understanding of the Dreamtime stories will help decipher the meaning of these concentric circles. This should not be confused with circles that represent a campfire or mark a certain destination.

• U-Shapes. These represent places where Aboriginal people meet or gather around a campsite.

• Spears and digging sticks. These are indications of gender roles. Spears represent Aboriginal men, while digging sticks represent women gathering food.

• Lines and waves. They are either pointed upward or used to connect two circles. Lines pointing upward can represent either upcoming rain or a fire rising. Waves can either mean a body of water or a snake.

• These symbols can be paw prints or kangaroo prints. When used in sand art, they depict a spot where animals are domesticated.

Symbols used in contemporary sand painting

This traditional form of iconography is preserved so that the new generation will appreciate Australian Aboriginal culture. Sand painting is now done with acrylic paint, ensuring the symbols are permanently visible. Some artists have engraved this traditional art form on their canvases, still preserving its true meaning. After all, symbols in Aboriginal sand art are not mere art forms but are divine. They tell more than a map or a destination; they tell a story of creation and the treasured history of the Aboriginal people.