Artwork Across the Venue
Discover the Stories
As you move through Nyaal Banyul, artwork meets you at every turn, each one holding a story shaped by Country, culture and connection. Many of the pieces were created by First Peoples artists, whose voices are woven into the heart of this place. We invite you to pause, reflect and discover the meaningful stories within each work.
Rematch – Corio Bay Djilang
By Marlene Gilson OAM
Rematch – Corio Bay Djilang
About the Artwork:
My painting is about the football match between miners from Geelong and Ballarat with the You Yangs and Corio Bay in the distance. The Ballarat miners saw traditional custodian boys kicking a possum-skin ball around in the bush, a game called marngrook, now known as football!
The Ballarat miners invited Geelong players to Ballarat for a game of football. Ballarat miners took the Geelong players to the pub and filled them up with food and drinks before playing, but Geelong still won, two games to one.
Geelong invited Ballarat to Geelong for a rematch and during this time, Geelong consisted of a few houses, shops, a pub and a church.
About the Artist:
Aunty Marlene’s multi-figure paintings work to overturn the colonial grasp on the past by reclaiming and recontextualising the representation of historical events.
In her paintings, she privileges stories relating to her ancestral land, Wadawurrung Country.
Often including her two totems, bundjil the eagle and waa the crow, Marlene’s work not only reconfigures historical narratives but displays her spiritual connection to Country.
She has had solo exhibitions in Ballarat, Melbourne and Sydney and participated in group exhibitions all over the world, including in 2024 when she was invited to exhibit in the 60th Venice Biennale.
Following this, she was awarded a medal of the order of Australia (OAM), and was commissioned for the 21st Biennale of Sydney 2018. In 2021, her painting was projected on the Sydney Opera House for Badu Gili: Wonder Women, which celebrated six Indigenous women artists from across the continent. Most recently, she was a finalist for the Telstra 2026 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.
Buniya Binhak
By Tammy Joy Gilson | Wadawurrung Textiles and Design
Buniya Binhak
About the Artwork:
The practice of weaving buniya binhak (eel basket) for eeling of short-finned eels for harvest among Wadawurrung kinkinbil/people is a significant cultural practice that intertwines traditional knowledge with social gathering.
Buniya Binhak is a much larger scale to a traditional one and demonstrates buniya swimming into the binak.
Buniya Binak and buniya were woven using blanket stitch and string bag stitch with natural fibres.
About the Artist:
Tammy Gilson is a proud Wadawurrung woman, traditional weaver, and blak designer, who’s practice is defined by numerous award-winning achievements, driven by an unwavering commitment to Culture.
Tammy is a Wiyn (fire) Ranger who resides and works on Wadawurrung Country. Tammy’s work blends traditional and contemporary expression, honouring lived experiences.
Through yarning, research and design, Tammy showcases technique and process of the old ways. Her work was recently exhibited in Japan, and is held in many public and private collections. Tammy inherited the practice of marruna – weaving – from her Wadawurrung and English ancestors.
Wurdi Yawang
By Wadawurrung Artist, Kait James
Wurdi Yawang
About the Artwork:
Kait James’ work reflects both an ancestral and creator-spirit viewpoint, centring Wurdi Yawang (You Yangs) as a site of deep cultural knowledge and presence. Drawing on the meaning of Nyaal Banyul (‘open your eyes to the hills’), it invites viewers to reconsider how they see and understand the landscape, acknowledging the layered histories embedded within it and the continuing connection Wadawurrung people hold with Country. Rising abruptly from the surrounding volcanic plains, Wurdi Yawang stands as a prominent granite formation that has long guided, grounded and connected people to place.
Conceived from a topographical, bird’s-eye perspective, the elevated viewpoint of creator spirit Bunjil – the work embodies an ancestral way of seeing, where land, story and ceremony are interconnected and inseparable. Country is presented not as landscape but as living knowledge and lore carried through generations. Wurdi Yawang forms part of an ancient songline, binding place to story and story to people.
Within a broader practice of recentring First Nations voices and ways of knowing, James positions Wurdi Yawang as an active site of cultural continuity. The work creates space for Wadawurrung people to feel seen, respected and represented, while inviting all viewers into a deeper relationship with the histories and meanings held within the land.
About the Artist:
Kait James is a proud Wadawurrung woman whose practice explores her Anglo and Indigenous heritage. Working across textiles, print, sculpture and public art, she creates work that responds to place through truth-telling, cultural reclamation and connection to Country.
Her practice challenges colonial narratives while affirming the strength, resilience and continuity of First Nations peoples, creating spaces for reflection, dialogue and a renewed understanding of place.
Karweeyn Mirring
By Tommy Day III (represented by Mamam)
Karweeyn Mirring – Dance of Country
About the Artwork:
Tommy’s work reflects thousands of generations of Wadawurrung People gathering on Djilang’s Western Cliffs for baierr – times of ceremony, trade, decision‑making and shared knowledge. The landscape tells stories of seasonal movement, abundance and deep connection to Country, from greenstone trade routes to fire, water and wildlife. It honours Country as a living place where culture, song, dance and community continue.
Bambi Burra (Eel Gathering)
By Worimi Artist, Gerard Black
Bambi Burra (Eel Gathering)
About the Artwork:
Wiyabu
Bambi Burra, a piece that holds deep meaning for me as a proud Worimi man. As you stand here at the entrance of Nyaal Banyul, I invite you to reflect on the profound connection between this place and the spirits of the land.
The name Bambi means eel and Burra signifies ceremony in my Gathang language. Through this bronze inlay, I aim to honour the location and its significance, paying my respects to the ancestors who walked this land before us. Each element of this artwork is infused with the essence of the country, celebrating the beauty and resilience of the short-finned eel, a creature that has been intertwined with our culture for thousands of generations.
As you observe the details, think about the strength and adaptability of the eel, which mirrors our own journey as a community. This piece is a reminder of the vital relationship we have with our environment, and how these special animals have sustained us and told our stories through the ages.
I hope that as you walk over this inlay, you feel the spirit of this place and the enduring legacy of our ancestors, inviting you to connect with the rich tapestry of our culture and the stories we carry forward. Thank you for sharing this moment with me.
Murrungbu
About the Artist:
Gerard Black is a proud Worimi Man. After a 10-year career as a tattoo artist, Gerard is now focusing on his painting, drawing and digital art. His work reflects his Indigenous background, storytelling and his love of nature, and draws on his strong design background from tattooing to produce a unique style of art. This connects ancient Indigenous art with modern design and medium, bringing them together into the future, creating a new modern style promoting reconciliation and connection.
Gerard’s work establishes a link between landscapes, reality and the spirit within, as Gerard often uses actual topographic maps as the basis for his artwork. He uses the physical colours, shapes and landmarks as a jumping off point. He then uses ancient designs and patterns to symbolise the different aspects of his art, tapping into his indigenous heritage with designs, shapes, colours and themes.
Our Time in Geelong
By Rone
Our Time in Geelong
About the Artwork:
Spanning 88 metres across Nyaal Banyul, Our Time in Geelong is a monumental mural celebrating the rich culture and community of Geelong.
Painted using tones drawn from the Wadawurrung palette – including a rare regional blue ochre – the piece deeply embeds local history into the building’s architecture. It features 14 local faces, including representatives across seven Wadawurrung family lines, beautifully weaving diverse personal stories and generations together. Subjects visually fade in and out of the wall, capturing themes of time, connection and impermanence while honouring the enduring heritage of the region.
About the Artist:
Tyrone Wright, known as Rone, is a Geelong-born artist celebrated for breathing new life into overlooked spaces through large-scale, immersive installations that weave together story, atmosphere and place. Rooted in street art, his work layers custom design, aged detail, light and sound to create evocative environments.
Among his most celebrated projects is a multi-sensory installation inside Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station, alongside murals and works spanning Australia and the globe. At the heart of Rone’s art is a fascination with impermanence, inviting people to slow down, look closely and find beauty in the fleeting.
Delama Dja – Embrace Country
By Jenna Oldaker
Delama Dja – Embrace Country
About the Artwork:
Delama Dja (Embrace Country) is a celebration of water, hills and sky. Bright blue tones honour the rivers, wetlands and coastal seas that have sustained the Wadawurrung People for generations. At the centre sits the meeting place, where journey lines, animal tracks and the traditional ‘∩’ shapes weave together community, family and connection to Country. Sacred hills rise through the composition, watched over by Bundjil the eagle and the spirits of Elders above. From sunrise orange to sunset purple, the colours capture the ever-changing life and nourishment of Wadawurrung Country.
About the Artist:
Jenna Oldaker is a Wadawurrung Traditional Owner and visual artist based on Wadawurrung Country in Ballarat. Working under the name Murrup Art, Jenna draws on the sacred traditions of her ancestors to create vibrant, detailed works that celebrate Aboriginal culture, Country and heritage. Her bold, contemporary use of colour brings traditional marks and symbols to life across canvas, murals, installations and digital design. Each piece carries its own story and meaning, rooted in deep family and cultural connection. Jenna is also a passionate community educator, sharing Wadawurrung culture and art with schools, kindergartens and disability services.