In her Durum Gadju series, Niah Juella McLeod draws from the richness of Indigenous languages to evoke the south, birth, and the number three, embedding maternal figures within a symbolic and spiritual geography. Each work unfolds like a river, sometimes calm, sometimes flowing, where every generation of women contributes their voice. This current carries stories, gestures, and guidance passed down over time, transforming each painting into a fluid memory and a collective wisdom in perpetual expansion.

Niah’s painting is defined by delicate curves, open spaces, and motifs inspired by natural cycles. Fine lines or tiny dots, applied with a pipette, brush, or echidna quill, create a hypnotic pattern that captivates both eye and mind. Each artistic gesture is at once intimate and universal, weaving a silent dialogue between mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts, connecting past and future.

A descendant of the Monero, Wandandian, and Yuin peoples of southeastern Australia, Niah Juella McLeod draws inspiration from both her personal life and the Dreamtime traditions. Daughter of Kathrin Sharp, a painter, and Bobby McLeod, a Yuin activist, poet, healer, and musician, she conveys in her works the essence of resilience, love, and feminine strength. Durum Gadju thus becomes a visual path where heritage and contemporary innovation meet, inviting viewers to deeply experience the power of intergenerational transmission.