RED TAILED BLACK COCKATOO 2 - Print - Limited Edition

Red Tailed Black Cockatoo 2 - By Grace Brown

This painting rich in symbolism was created for NMHPV – Nursing and Midwife Health Program Victoria. 

The red-tailed cockatoo in this painting has great cultural significance for indigenous Australians. This bird represents many stories and is sacred within the indigenous community. The red-tailed cockatoo plays a major role in many songlines.

It is celebrated in ceremonies, and it is often reflected in family totems.

This sacred bird plays an integral role in the spread of seeds for future food and medicine plant resources, wherever it may fly.

Knowledge and wisdom has been placed in the centre of this painting to immerse the viewer in the importance of these meanings, to convey themes of integrity, respect, communication and the care within the context of the nursing and midwifery health program and their core values. 

Nurses and midwives are symbolised in the artwork as ‘painted lady’ butterflies and are flying around the red-tailed black cockatoo to honour this majestic bird’s values. The butterflies represent them with the utmost of respect amongst the community.They play a vital role in the health and healing of individuals who come to the hospital for treatment. Gracefully flying, butterflies are gentle and only rest their wings to re-energise before awakening to fly again with integrity and grace, healing everything they gently touch.

The small continuous circular layers of intricate dots surrounding the cockatoo, and placed throughout the painting, represent the values and the commitment that underpin the organisations efforts towards reconciliation with indigenous communities.These dots also highlight the importance of acknowledging the past, working together for healing, and recognising the crucial role that healthcare professionals, like nurses and midwifes, play in promoting health, equity and cultural safety for all individuals in their care at the Hospital.

Larger dots symbolise community, interconnections, and the complex network of relationships that make up the health care system and the wider community.

The medicine flowers and leaves throughout the painting represent the medicine used within the hospital needed to heal our people and the wider community.

The meeting places, and the dots representing songlines, flowing from the edge of the painting, and continuing into the centre of the artwork, towards the red-tailed cockatoo, represent our people travelling to the hospital with the trust for reconciliation and for our healing

Limited Edition Fine Art Print on Canvas or 310gsm Art Paper

Edition of 30

Certificate of Authenticity hand signed and numbered by the artist.

 Artwork Canvas Print will be professionally packed and delivered in a Rolled tube.