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Healing Scarf
Product Details
Artwork Description:
This painting brings together two strong women: Gisèle Pelicot, a French wanti [woman], & Martu wanti Mulyatingki Marney. Though they live in different countries, they are deeply connected through a silk scarf that symbolises strength & resilience. The scarf holds a powerful meaning - it is inspired by a painting by Marney titled Wirlarra & was gifted by Older Women’s Network Australia.
Both women stand firmly in their voices & their presence in the world. They stand strong together in love & solidarity, their strength speaking across cultures & distance.
I would love for both women to meet one day, and to take Gisèle Pelicot to Martu Country - to experience the feeling of walking on Martu land, to sit among Martu women, and to be present on Country. In doing so, she could experience deep healing and gain insight into Martu culture.
This work reflects not only the bond between two women, but also a shared story of endurance, identity, and the power of expression."
- Sylvia Wilson
Category:
Paintings (Oils & Acrylics)
Artwork Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
91h x 91w x 3d (cm)
Artist Bio:
"I’m Sylvia Wilson, an emerging curator at Martumili Art Gallery. The first exhibition I curated was in 2021 with fellow artists Robina Willams and Corban Williams.
Paper Wangka (Paper Story in Martu) exhibition unearthed paper artwork treasures from Martumili collection as a professional development project for us three emerging curators. Since then I have led the gallery team to curate and install a number of exhibitions including
Ngapikaja (the loose translaon thingamibobs) and
Mikka (Bush foods). I also curated a show for
Yaama ganu Gallery in NSW for this September 2023. I love working with spaces and amazing artwork. I love going through the process of selection and coming up with themes that tie the pieces together. I get so excited to see works the works we send to different galleries, stretched and hung on the walls in places like Darwin, Perth and Sydney.
I also knew I was different from a young age. I remember saying it all the time, not understanding why until now, in my late 30s. Mum Pat was a good mother — strict but loving. She wanted the best for me. We grew up in a big family. I didn’t know where I came from until I was older.
My Martu birth mother, Susan, was young. She also came from a big family and had a very cultural upbringing. We Martu people were the last to be discovered in Australia. For me, I say out loud: I have a Black mum and a white mum, living in two different worlds. I guess that’s being a true Australian."
- Sylvia Wilson
Group Exhibitions:
2026
Between Bodies, cbOne Gallery, Melbourne, WA
2025
2025 Lester Art Prize
2023
Cossack Art Awards Exhibition, City of Karratha, Cossack, WA
2023
Jury Art Awards Exhibition, Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland, WA
2023
Songlines - Centres dart du desert australien, IDAIA/ Australian Embassy, Paris, France
2021
Revealed: New and Emerging Aboriginal Artists, Fremantle Arts Centre, WA
2021
Paper Wangka (Paper Story), Martumili Gallery, Newman, WA
Awards:
2025 Winner, Minderoo Foundation Spirit Prize,
The Lester Prize, Perth, WA
2023 Finalist,
Rockingham Art Prize, Perth, WA
2023 Winner, Portrait Prize,
Cossack Art Awards Exhibition, City of Karratha, Cossack, WA
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