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

Her work reflects her exploration of identity and her questioning of her roots, both Aboriginal and Western. Niah Juella McLeod reimagines her people’s ancestral traditions and offers a contemporary narrative connected to her Country.

McLeod uses a pipette or an echidna quill (a small animal native to Australia) to apply fine raised lines onto the canvas. These lines either stand out or blend into the background, which she has carefully prepared. By bringing the lines closer together, McLeod infuses the work with energy, suggesting a flowing wave that moves across the painting.

In particular, the artist represents through these delicate lines fishing lines, called Waraawara in Aboriginal language. On the right side of the canvas, the cluster of concentric circles recalls the visual codes of Aboriginal painting, notably the representation of a waterhole. Here, the artist refers to a fishing session.