PHOTO: Sooty Welsh’s daughter Jolene and her granddaughters are part of the dance group who performed for the PNG Prime Minister last week. Jolene is holding the coolamon made by her father.
A recent opportunity for local Wayilwan artist Kevin (Sooty) Welsh has put his work in front of not only the nation’s leaders but also visiting dignitaries and it is expected that the exposure could take his career to a new level.
One of his ceramic coolamons featuring local scar-tree-inspired markings was presented to Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape last Wednesday 7 February during his historic visit to the nation’s capital.
“I was invited to send a few pieces down to Canberra,” Sooty told the Coonamble Times last week. “They were looking for something different in Indigenous art to present to dignitaries.”
Serena Williams is a Ngunnawal elder and as someone often called on to welcome international visitors was the person responsible for inviting Sooty to submit his work to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
She is a close friend of Sooty’s daughter Jolene who, with his great grand daughters, is part of an Aboriginal dance group Yukkumbruk Dreaming formed in memory of Serena’s father Harold Williams.
Mr Williams is recognised as the first of the Ngunnawal nation to return to the ACT after being removed as a child.
“Our families have had a long association,” Serena told the Coonamble Times. “Jolene’s mother was forcibly removed from Pilliga down to Thirty Two Acres at Cowra and my father was sent there from Canberra.
“I’ve always known about Uncle Sooty and his work,” she said. “I thought it would be lovely to gift Mr Marape something beautiful and meaningful.
“We made sure he understands the story of Sooty and his work. He knows he’s a Wayilwan man and he’s connecting back to country in Coonamble through his art.”
During this visit Mr Marape made history as the first Prime Minister to ever address the Australian Parliament in their chambers.
Ms Williams says that as well as being well received by Mr Marape the artwork made a splash with DFAT staff and it is likely that Sooty’s art will be in demand for both official and personal display.
“Now the word’s spread like wildfire,” she said.
“Often delegations can’t take wooden items back out of the country so the ceramics is ideal.
“The VIPs here in Canberra are all keen and interested in his work so I expect that DFAT will continue to gift his work.
“This is a way of connecting international visitors and dignitaries to Aboriginal Australia.
“I just wish Uncle Sooty all the luck and I think his business is going to flourish,” she said. “He might even be able to give up his day job and hire a PA to take his orders.”
Back in Coonamble, Sooty is taking the attention in his stride.
“It’s a great place to have your work and be known, but I’m not getting too flustered about it,” he said.
“It’s quite good to be asked and acknowledged for a piece of work.
“Over the last year or so things have sort of snowballed. My work has gone to India, Dubai and the U.S. through the markets I’ve been into in Sydney.
“I would like to get my own backyard kiln,” he said. “And maybe have a showroom in the front of my house where people can come and watch me work.
“That’s definitely something I’m hoping to achieve this year.”