About the Artist

Kelly Lock is a talented Aboriginal Artist from Regional Australia.  Her great Grandmother was from the Tribal Lands of Bunganditj, also known as Boandik Nation in Mount Gambier area, South Australia.   She now lives in the community of the Wiradjuri tribe in the Albury / Wodonga area.   Kelly is one of six children, has three children, and is aunt to five nephews and two nieces.

Kelly Lock's Women's Ceremonies is about how during these rituals, Aboriginal women call on their ancestors, show respect for their country and demonstrate their responsibility for the well-being of their community.  The ceremonies reflect women’s roles as the nurturer, healer and caretaker of their families and community.  These ceremonies celebrate the fertility of the land, and the food which the land provides.

Throughout the ceremony, the women chant their particular dreaming as well.  The whole experience is a meditative and sensual experience.  Decorating the body can take several hours and the identities of those who are painted become transformed through the process.  The final part of the ceremony is when the women dance.