From the Artist

Wes' first solo exhibition, Kaaditj, was launched on the 3rd of July with an impressive turnout of friends, family and the local community. As part of the opening night celebrations, Wes gave a beautiful speech sharing his insight into the exhibition, his vision and gave a resounding call to action for all those present to remember.

The Noongar word for this exhibition doesn’t really mean ‘remember’, but I have used it in that context. It means ‘learning’, ‘knowing’. I’m using it in the sense of recalling our creation, knowing our destruction and our future going forward. Though the middle part of the exhibition is about destruction, it is also about hope. It’s about replanting for the future, about remembering.

The hero piece, Kaaditj, is very sentimental to myself as it is an image of my son. But I feel like I’ve given it that meaning of longing and the pain we feel; that remembrance of our childhood, remembering what used to be and not ever being able to get that feeling back.

I feel like especially over the last - since 2020, anyway - but at least over the last ten years our society as a whole has forgotten what it’s like to be a community. It’s forgotten what it’s like to come together and be strong. Instead, we’re very divided. I think that, looking at this exhibition, hopefully we can feel that coming together as we move through it.

As you see, towards the end we have a picture of Alex (my son) putting his hand in the ground and he’s planting, he’s planting that strong root. The light at the end shining through. Him walking off into the distance.

Just remember: remember who we used to be and remember what we can be. And hopefully together we can stay strong.

Photography by Yvonne Doherty

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