Station 8

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem at the Beeliar Wetlands; Haven on Earth, oil and metal leaf on canvas, (3 x) 50 x 40 cm. Photographer: Lee Bickford

When Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem, crying, he says to them, "[...] do not cry for me, but for yourselves, and for your children".

At the Beeliar Wetlands, people from a large cross section of society are currently protesting against the Barnett government for building the Roe 8 highway through the wetlands, which is a haven to many native species (some endangered), as well as being a place of important cultural heritage.

My intention was not to paint portraits of three individual women, but to represent the type of women I would like to see more in contemporary art. I began painting groups of protesters taking the place of Saints, then ultimately zoomed in on three prominent figures: Kate Kelly, the campaign leader; Corina Abraham, fighting the high court to reject the approval of the highway based on Noongar cultural heritage; and Dr Nandi Chinna, a poet with a special interest in the history of WA's wetlands and swamps. These women are virtuous in their morality, intelligence, determination, and spirituality. 

I believe that spirituality is inseparable from the concept that nature and creation are sacred sites.