Jody Rallah

Jody Rallah, a descendant of the Biri Gubba, Yuggera, and Warangu peoples, is an artist whose diverse practice encompasses object making, sculptural installation, painting, sound, and performance. Through her art, she creates “knowledge vessels” that embody living histories, bridging generational gaps and fostering conversations.

Collaborating with the team at Blaklash, who curated the artist for this project at Queensland University of Technology in Kelvin Grove, Rallah designed a wall artwork celebrating First Nations culture and stories of the place and the community.

Jody Rallah's work for QUT Kelvin Grove, beautifully highlights the importance of honouring Country, culture, and community. These elements are strategically and intricately imprinted and embedded through the pattern-making process, forging a strong connection to their overlapping narratives. This artwork warmly invites visitors to look closer into the detail and shares stories of Yagara (Yuggera) Country.

From woven waterholes, tracks, and paper bark elements to text, embedding site-specific narratives, Rallah worked with the guidance of Gaja Kerry Charlton, Christopher Bassi, and our team in Brisbane to create graphic components and design elements for the artwork using a combination of mechanical routing and Rallah's own hand sculptured application, intricate patterns were created, including handmade nets onto 24 cast aluminium panels. The panels were skillfully painted to create contrasting areas, seamlessly integrating Rallah's handwork.

UAP is proud to have collaborated with the artist and Blaklash on this 15.5-metre-long x 3.2-metre-high sculpture showcasing various elements like textures of Emu Feathers, roots, woven nets, swimming gum nuts, and more, making it a pleasure to look at and observe.