About the Artist

Vanessa Appo 

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Ever since I was little I have been a creative person and have expressed myself through art. Growing up a lot of my  creative inspiration came from my Aunties and during my senior years in school I took multiple art classes as well as art courses outside of school. Throughout the years my art style and the mediums I use have changed with the different phases of my life; a lot of my older work was mainly sketches and portraits, which led into a lot of water colour paintings. Though I am always growing and changing and have no doubt my art will continue too as well, I'm really feeling at home working with creating and telling stories through my contemporary Indigenous paintings. 

My name Vanessa means butterfly and from this, I was given my Aboriginal name; Bulumbrr, which in Butchulla also means butterfly. Growing up in Meanjin and Yaggera it took me a long time to find myself and be strong in who I am, it wasn't until my late teens when we started visiting home ( K'gari ) that I really felt at home and at peace. On the island, with the sand, water, bush and animals is where I'm happiest and is what drives me to create and paint today. 
 

"What's good for the country comes first, don't take anything that doesn't belong to you, if you have plenty, share"