Niah Juella Mcleod is a mixed-heritage Aboriginal artist, descended from the Monero, Wandandian, and Yuin peoples of southeastern Australia. She is the daughter of Kathrin Sharp, a painter, and Bobby Mcleod, an Aboriginal activist, poet, healer, musician, and elder of the Yuin people.

Her work explores her identity and heritage, both Aboriginal and Western. Niah Juella Mcleod reimagines the ancestral traditions of her people while presenting a contemporary narrative deeply connected to her country.

In this piece, she reflects on the transmission of knowledge between women, likening it to a calm or flowing river, where each new generation adds its voice to the current, bringing lessons of resilience, love, and strength. Together, they weave a tapestry of guidance that honors the past while lighting the path for those who follow.

To create her paintings, Niah Juella Mcleod uses fine lines or small raised dots that form hypnotic patterns on carefully prepared backgrounds. She then works with a pipette, brush, or echidna spine, a small animal native to Australia, to build depth and reveal the multiple layers of paint.