Woven within Stars

Jenna Richards 

Jenna Richards is a Barngarla/Nauo/Wirangu/Gubran/Noongar/Ngaji Ngaji/Balardong artist born in Galinyala (Port Lincoln) as the fourth daughter of Davina Sambo and the late Brenton Richards. Jenna grew up as one of seven siblings in Galinyala until she was 14 when she and the family moved to her mother’s country of Kalgoorlie and then across Western Australia, returning to Port Lincoln when she was 21. She has spent many years learning and teaching her ancient Barngarla ngaoowala (language) and strives to pass this onto her three children.

Vera Richards 

Vera Richards is a proud Barngarla/Nauo/Wirangu/Gubran/Noongar/Ngaji Ngaji/Balardong artist from Galinyala (Port Lincoln), whose family’s traditional lands span from the Eyre Peninsula through to the Goldfields and Southern Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Vera has painted large-scale Barngarla Creation story murals in Galinyala, including at Brennan’s Wharf, known as the Red Shed, and Parnkalla Trail. She also contributed artwork for the Port Lincoln Foreshore Revitalisation and for the Stolen Generations Memorial at Whait Reserve.

Lavinia Richards

Aunty Lavinia Richards is a respected Barngarla Elder from Galinyala (Port Lincoln) and a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Lavinia’s role as an Elder carries deep responsibility – she regularly presents Welcome to Country ceremonies, offers cultural guidance, and mentors younger generations within the Barngarla community. Her artistic journey has been enriched by formal studies in creative writing at the University of South Australia and visual arts qualifications from the Bachelor Institute in Alice Springs.

Sonja (Jonas) Dare  

Sonja (Jonas) Dare is a Barngarla, Kokatha and Wirangu woman from South Australia, with ties to Yankunytjatjara through her great grandmother on her grandfather’s side. She is the eldest child of Lorraine Dare, who was an original registered claimant in the 25-year Barngarla Native Title fight with the government. Jonas started her creative journey when she secured a work experience placement at Melbourne University in the graphics/printing department in the mid 80’s. Jonas’ interdisciplinary visual artworks – including digital media, photography, paint, filmmaking and leadlight – explore socio-cultural, environmental and political issues affecting Aboriginal people.

Roy Coulthard OAM 

Roy Coulthard is an Adnyamathanha Elder and master carver, deeply connected to his Country in the Northern Flinders Ranges. He has introduced thousands of people to traditional Adnyamathanha woodcarving, reigniting practices that had been dormant in some communities for many years. Coulthard also featured in the 2019 documentary The Mulka Man, which follows his life and cultural practice as one of the few remaining traditional carvers in the Flinders Ranges. His carvings are held in the South Australian Museum’s permanent collection.

Patricia Fatt  

Patricia Fatt is a Yankunytjatjara/Kokatha artist based in Coober Pedy. Although Patricia only formally began painting in mid 2021, her practice is rooted in a lifetime of lived cultural knowledge and storytelling. Her works are shaped by a deep connection to Country, especially the desert landscapes surrounding Coober Pedy, where her father is from. Painting has become an important part of everyday life, offering her time to relax and reflect.

Reginald Dodd OAM

Reginald Dodd is a senior Arabunna Elder, artist, and cultural custodian. Over decades, he has used film, digital, and mobile photography to record desert landscapes, the tracks of animals, and the old railway lines that once connected communities across the outback. His photographs reflect both lived experience and a deep spiritual connection to the land. He worked as a stockman from the age of 13 at Anna Creek Station before joining the South Australian Railways in Marree in 1960, where he remained until the closure of the line in 1986.

Donald McKenzie 

Donald McKenzie is an Adnyamathanha and Wangkangurru artist born in Port Augusta. He began his artistic journey in 1989, studying visual arts at TAFE in Mildura. Since then, he has become a versatile and skilled artist, equally comfortable working across a range of media, with particular strength in three-dimensional sculpture. His talent and contributions to the arts were formally recognised in 2006 when he received the Port Augusta NAIDOC Artist of the Year Award. 

Regina McKenzie 

Regina McKenzie is a Kuyani/Walpi and Luritja/Lower Southern Arrernte Elder, artist, mother and grandmother who predominately works in the medium of paintings. From 2008 to 2010, Regina was the first Aboriginal state arts worker for the Statewide Indigenous Community Arts Development program. She co-founded Yarta Arts with her daughter Juanella Donovan. Regina and her family are currently in the process of developing an art gallery in Hawker which will open in 2027.