Interview with Miranda Hampson
I am an Anaiwan woman (Uralla, NSW). I was born and raised on Gumbaynggirr Country and currently living on Dharawal Country. My family has a great affinity with the ocean and it is at the heart of my most cherished childhood memories.
My grandmothers, both artists, in watercolours and oils, opened me up to the art world from a young age. I hold a Bachelor of Arts (Photography) and BA Applied Science (Parks, Recreation and Heritage) with First Class Honours.
I am human, so I have experienced trauma, both happened to and created by me. My work is based on the human experience but with the aesthetics that connect me to my childhood, nature and culture.
Whilst the human experience in my art is based on my perspective and wide range of influences affecting my reality of existing (mental, emotional, cultural, spiritual and physical), I hope to relate to my audience.
Winner Major Prize - Best of City and Country Art 2024
Finalist- Goulburn Art Award 2024
Finalist - National Contemporary Art Prize 2024 Your connection to your ancestral roots and cultural heritage is deeply embedded in your work. Can you delve into how your identity as an Anaiwan woman, along with the influence of your grandmothers' artistic practices, shapes your understanding of art as a form of cultural expression and resistance? How do you reconcile the traditional aspects of your heritage with the modern world in your creations?
My artistic journey began when my mother left my sister and I at home, at various points in time, to pursue her own endeavours. I was in high school, looking down the barrel of my HSC. I was very distracted, troubled, in with the wrong crowd. My sister resented me because I was having to step up into an adult role as a child. My grandmother, a painter, pulled me aside and we discussed what was going to get me through this time. I wasn’t taking much interest in school but I too enjoyed visual arts. So we set a goal to create a portfolio for my HSC with the potential to make it into Art Express. We each created a series of water lily paintings. Some were created using the traditional characteristics and meaning inherent in Aboriginal art, some were abstract and some had a whimsical ‘Monet’ sense about them. I didn’t make it into Art Express, however having this time with my grandmother and learning from her has proved to be invaluable. My practice is classed as ‘contemporary Aboriginal art’ and is appropriate through my own lineage and through the teachings by my Anaiwan grandmother but also influenced by my upbringing and the human experience in today’s world.
The interplay of personal trauma and healing is a recurring theme in your art. How do you navigate the vulnerability of sharing such intimate aspects of your life through your paintings? Can you discuss a specific piece that encapsulates this journey of pain, growth, and transformation, and what you hope others take away from it?
I had to stop caring what people think of me. I am using my practice to share some really raw emotions and experiences but also to put my hand up and take responsibility. I am known as a ‘people pleaser’ always wanting to accomplish things, feel validated and liked. Now I am in the mindset of “I wonder what would happen if I just told my truth and laid it all bare for everyone to see”. It feels like a sense of freedom. In my work “Burned” I painted a bushfire with Joan Crawford’s quote “Love is a fire. But whether it’s going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell". I painted this piece to process the decision to leave an unhappy marriage for an alcoholic who lived in the Blue Mountains. I went out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. I resented this decision wholeheartedly. Bushfires can have negative connotations for people, however they are one of natures cleansing acts and that’s how I felt when I painted this.
Balancing the deeply personal nature of your work with the desire to resonate with a broader audience can be challenging. How do you approach this balance? Are there particular techniques or thematic elements you employ to ensure your art remains both a personal catharsis and a universal commentary on the human experience?
The intent behind my work is deeply personal but many of us can relate to trauma, whether it be death, abandonment, narcissistic abuse, domestic violence, relationship breakdown and so on. Whilst this is the case, I like to leave room for interpretation in order to provide the viewer with an opportunity to connect. For example, my painting FREN.ZI was about experiencing a state of excitement and confusion whilst having to compete with those who want the same thing. This work resonated deeply with its buyer as they felt like it conveyed their journey of receiving a long awaited ADHD diagnosis in adulthood. I also aim to make viewing my work a sensory experience so I make careful considerations with regards to music selection and have even provided food suggestions.
Your biography speaks to a profound connection with the ocean and the natural world, stemming from your childhood experiences on Gumbaynggirr Country. How does this bond influence the thematic and visual elements of your art? Can you share an example of how the ocean or natural landscapes have directly inspired a specific work or series?
My father has an immense passion for the ocean and the marine environment and his enthusiasm rubbed off on me. He was in the navy and then had a career in marine engineering. My parents met scuba diving therefore, as a young child, you would find me in rock pools and in boats. That came to an abrupt end with my parents relationship breakdown and my father moving overseas. My relationship with my mother and sister also deteriorated in that time. From that point forward I have always felt like I am always having to say goodbye to my father because he has never been at arms reach since. I always thought if I could make him proud that he would come back to me (the beginnings of people pleasing). Every time I look at the oceans horizon I am reminded of him and those times. As a family, we used to always be in the bush and lived on a bush block which inspired me to follow a career with National Parks and Wildlife in Aboriginal cultural heritage management.
Art can be a powerful tool for personal healing and reconciliation with one's past. Can you describe a moment or process where your artistic practice allowed you to confront and work through a specific trauma? How did this experience influence your approach to art and the themes you choose to explore?
My trauma bonds have led me to many relationships that are narcissistic in nature. As a people pleaser, I am the perfect match for the narcissist and this is dangerous. My work ‘A Cool Burn’ which was a Finalist in the Goulburn Art Awards, celebrates the admirable quality of courage, which is driven by conviction and determination and contrasts it with the negative behaviour of bullying which often relies on manipulation and coercion. This work contributed to identifying and breaking this relationship pattern and the constant self abandonment. I have many more themes I am exploring in preparation for an upcoming solo exhibition next year.
Your totem, the echidna, holds personal significance for you. What does the echidna symbolize in your life and work? How do you incorporate its characteristics or symbolism into your art, and what message do you hope to convey through these representations?
The symbolism of totems can be complex and multi-dimensional and varies depending on where you are from. For me, the echidna provides a link to my ancestors and I like to call upon them when I am facing tough challenges as the echidna teaches us the value of focusing on the beauty of detail (a key characteristic in my art) and the need to utilise our energy in a more competent way. Echidnas are also very stubborn creatures and teach us that there are times where we need to defend ourselves without losing our ground. Sometimes I just like to know my ancestors are watching over me through the eyes of an echidna. The relationship between aesthetics and the deeper emotional or cultural narratives in your paintings is a complex one.
How do you ensure that the beauty of your work does not overshadow the profound messages you aim to convey? Can you discuss how you use visual elements like colour, form, and composition to enhance the storytelling aspect of your art?
Art is a powerful medium that can speak to all walks of life. As an Aboriginal artist, art is one way I express my cultural views, values and experiences, however I also have the ability to articulate universal thoughts and experiences that connect with a wide range of individuals. Each mark has meaning through using symbolism and repetition in order to pick up subtle contrasts and nuances. When it comes to Aboriginal art, you are looking at the underlying ideas that arise from Country, ceremony and about peoples connections and obligations to Country. For example, in the work I mentioned earlier, ‘A Cool Burn’, I used the aesthetics inherent of cool burning, a sustainable traditional fire management technique. I was involved in many cultural burns in my time with National Parks. In my practice, I need to be able to recognise myself whilst honouring my culture. In saying that, I have received feedback that, for some, my works can be confronting. They look beautiful aesthetically and then the artist statement can really throw people. Usually these works are the ones based on the multi-generational trauma events and associated health impacts of Aboriginal people. But that just tells me that it’s even more imperative to initiate these conversations and challenge peoples thinking. There must be a balance though as if I focus on my ‘audience’ too much I lose sight of what my practice is really about. Processing life events is painful but, in turn, can be beautiful. It’s an act we do for ourselves.
As a mother to four children and a partner to a fellow cultural advocate, how do you integrate your familial roles and responsibilities into your creative practice? How do your experiences as a parent and spouse inform the themes and narratives in your art? Can you discuss how the concept of family and community is reflected in your work, and what you hope your children learn from your artistic legacy?
This is the question I get asked the most but in a more condensed version of “how do you find the time?”. My answer is in reality “finding time” is not about time but about a clarity of purpose. I don’t integrate the concept of ‘motherhood’ directly into my painting because, apart from painting, my life is dedicated to raising my family including two neurodivergent children. However I have found that motherhood has exacerbated and uncovered a lot of the trauma that I had supressed for all of these years as I am trying to show up for my children in a way that people do not show up for me. Not only am I a mother but I am their advocate. When children are exposed to the arts whether it’s doing, experiencing or viewing, it can assist in emotional regulation. My daughter loves art and finds so much satisfaction in helping me prepare the ochre for paintings as it is a source of sensory stimuli for her. It is also a way for her to learn and immerse herself in her culture.
www.mirandahampsonart.com.au
