By Mikayla van Loon
Healesville teenager, Powelltown Netballer and proud Taungurung and Wiradjuri woman Teghan Voce has beautifully designed the artwork for Yarra Ranges homelessness and youth development organisation Anchor’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) document, having been commissioned to paint four Indigenous artworks at the start of 2019.
The creative brief for these pieces was to represent Anchor’s connection to community and land and to the people they support.
Miss Voce said she drew inspiration from her own connections to family, Country and culture to help share what it means to her and those around her.
“When I’m painting, it gives me a sense of connection to my country and ancestors. It’s a proud and safe space for me to feel my own belonging and support Anchor on their path to Reconciliation,” she said.
Anchor CEO Heidi Tucker said it took quite a few years to find an artist who connected to Anchor and understood the people, values and importance of a RAP.
“[Teghan] wanted to really feel what it was like for her, what she wanted to express, so she investigated Anchor and talked to us at Anchor so she could feel what she wanted to put into the paintings,” she said.
At 17-years-old, Miss Voce began painting just two years ago, self teaching during the pandemic lockdowns.
“I was seeing a lot of paintings and I’ve always wanted to be able to do that. So during Covid I just taught myself how to do it,” she said.
Her craft and talent has grown from creating painted peg people as toys for childcare centres to commissioning these four artworks for Anchor, exploring the themes of men’s business, women’s business, family and children.
“It took a bit of time. I usually get a piece of paper and work out the design and what I want to do, as well as the story.
“I’m proud of my artwork. I hope it inspires safety, strength and Aboriginal self determination to progress reconciliation.”
Painting in a traditional method that connects to her Aboriginal culture, Miss Voce selected paint colours known in Indigenious artworks.
“With the colours it’s just usually just what they could make from the clay and other natural sources which were orange, yellow, browns, reds. So that’s usually what I like to use but with the women I just wanted to use pink to make it pop a bit more,” she said.
Miss Voce is now wanting to pursue her painting more, having already sold some works and having designed the Powelltown Indigenious Round jumper for the game against Warburton on Saturday 23 July.
“I want to keep doing stuff like that to be able to show everybody what I can do.”
