Kayley Emery is a proud Wangkatha-Yamatji woman who was born and raised on Whadjuk country. She is a recent graduate of the ‘Follow Your Dream’ Aboriginal Education Program at Belmont Community College, and uses her artwork to share her cultural knowledge with the community. Here Kayley presents her latest artwork “Everlasting”, a commentary on the beauty of life and death, the significance of totems, and the importance of stars and constellations for navigation and travel. 

“This artwork is a comment on the beauty of life and death. Through life we are able to create memories with our loved ones, through death we are able to give back to the earth. This art work has ever lasting flowers throughout the emu’s skeleton as it resides in the meadow. I have chosen to incorporate an emu as it is my family’s totem, it is very significant to my family as it represents the family members that that have passed a way and that are now living on in our memories. Before settlement occurred in Australia indigenous people would travel at night because it was cooler meaning that they could travel farther, they would also use the stars and constellations in the sky to navigate around. The emu constellation is one of the biggest in the sky that they would often use to help navigate. The emu consolation in the piece is helping the spirit of the emu pass on.”
 - Kayley Emery, 2023

Kayley’s work is accompanied by works by artists Joseph Narrier and David Prior (Krocette) selected from the City of Belmont Civic Art Collection.