(Image- Shirley Yumala Collins, Grandmothers tools, 2025, air dried clay, sand, acrylic paints, sealant, wood, gauze, polymers, fabric, string, natural dyes and emu feathers. Courtesy of the artist. )

In Aboriginal cultures, as in most cultures throughout the world, the role of a grandmother holds a reverent place in family groups and is the glue that binds communities together.

Through a series of paintings, prints, textiles, objects, artefacts and jewellery, Aunty Shirley, a grandmother herself, explores the custodianship, cultural knowledge, survival knowledge and storytelling relevance of her generation.