Connections by Natalie L. Simmons

Artist Statement

"Commissioned by her children, this piece, titled Connections is centred on the journey of Jude's life. One of passion, love and deep connection to family, the land and people.

The large meeting place is reflective of Jude, symbolising her as a whole - as a wife, mother, grandmother, her work within indigenous communities and her journey of building connections to not only people but also nature.

The meeting places with gradients of purples symbolise all the places Jude has been, the imprints she has made, connecting them all to the legacy she leaves behind wherever she goes. The meeting places in the lower quadrant of the artwork symbolises her family. The journey of family, the many resting places we come together in times of love, joy, loss and grief.

The background of the artwork is layered, and I used these gradients of greens to resemble Jude's family and ancestors, wrapped around her on her journey within this life. Almost like a visual representation of a feeling she had when she went to Ireland and thought: “This is me, this is who I am. Connecting Jude to her family’s history and the perspective to walk a mile in another person's shoes, remembering there’s always a story.

The journey heading from the large meeting place represents Jude's journey that is to be continued, honouring her commitment to leaving any place she goes better than she left it. The black dots symbolise Jude's connection to where she grew up, honouring the wise words of her father and the black soil that surrounded her as a child, taking that in her journey into the future and leaving it within her legacy.

The colour white represents purity, spirituality, and ancestral spirits. The dotted off-white lines to the left and right lower outer quadrant, connect my ancestors and the spiritual realm. I used this to symbolise my people and ancestors being part of your journey, walking aside and into the future with you.