Emily Beckley: Symbols as Storytellers

Emily Beckley is an Indigenous artist of the Meriam Mir and Kala Lagaw language groups in Torres Strait Islands, Queensland.

Emily lives on Horn Island, which sits like a cherry on top of the cake of Australia. Beckley was born on the neighbouring island, which sits a short distance away or “5 minutes in a fast tinny (metal boat)”.

Beckley’s work takes the viewer on a journey through time where symbols serve as storytellers.

Beckley draws on the experiences, stories and history of her own culture as a starting point, then combines it with her father’s Muslim background and takes these concepts to a new conclusion within contemporary jewellery.

Emily's use of Indigenous symbols, native seeds and coral, in conjunction with washed up fishing net and wire, illustrate the devastation met by our environment at the hands of humankind.

Organised by Blandine Hallé and Melissa Cameron, Connexions came from a desire to share contemporary Australian jewellery with the world.

This became augmented by what Hallé and Cameron wanted to share about Australia, versus what was at the forefront of the news media at that time; namely the Christchurch Massacre, perpetrated by an Australian.

Selected for their existing contribution to this dialogue, each artist mines and interrogates their own histories for their artwork. Together, the complex, nuanced and diverse works portray Australia as a community that respects difference and honours diversity and complexity, more effectively than any single dialogue in which we might hope to engage could.

Explore more work from the Connexions artists.