The Perth Centre for Photography is pleased to present Djinanginy Ngany (Seeing Me) by Moorditj Koolangka, opening 6 pm, Friday 13 November 2020. Please email info@pcp.org.au to RSVP to the opening.

This program, facilitated by local artists Esther McDowell (Yabini Kickett) and Duncan Wright, features photography and drawings by the Moorditj Koolangka youth group from the Edmund Rice Centre, WA.

Moorditj Koolangka, meaning ‘strong/deadly children’ in Noongar language is a program run out of Mirrabooka for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged between 7-12 years old. It has been running for over 20 years and offers a wide array of activities for children including visual arts, sport, culture and general get-togethers.

“Ngalang Moorditj Koolangka!”

Djinanginy Ngany allowed the children to meet up under safe circumstances, while learning basic photography skills, and to play with new but familiar mediums. Guided by local photographer Duncan Wright, the children were able to photograph their peers under warm light in a place they know well, resulting in a series of intimate portraits. Later the children were given the freedom to draw however they liked over the top, no pressure, no expectations, whatever they pleased. 

The final artworks are hectic, chaotic, sweet and all-round pretty deadly. 

In conjunction, the painted fabric (which was used as the backdrop in their portraits) features an outline of the 24-seater bus the children are picked up and dropped off in. They were also given the freedom to draw on this in the same vein as their portraits.

Lastly, the poem below by writer and academic Cassie Lynch was commissioned as another element to the show. She was welcomed into the program for four weeks to observe and get to know the Koolangka, after which she wrote a poem about them. 

This body of work was made by the children for fun because we can and should do this more often.

 

Moorditj Koolangka 

By Cassie Lynch 2020

Mirrabooka doors fly open

A flock of colour and voices

Sneakers running on carpet

Thump thump thump

The moorditj koolangka!

Hearts and hands and minds 

Gathered together for the afternoon

Shouting names, playing games

Heads down, thumbs up

Catch the ball or you’re out!

 

Moorditj koolangka 

Taking each other’s portraits

Smiling at friends through the lens

Click click click

What does the camera capture?

Ngalang miyel? Kaya!

Ngalang dwaangk? Kaya!

Ngalang mooly? Kaya!

Eyes and ears and noses

Arms crossed for Wakanda

In the diffused light

 

Moorditj koolangka

Excellent kids

Get the Posca paint pens working!

Shake shake shake

Decorate the portraits

Noonook djinang bwora noonan koonger-ak

Look inside yourself

Share your colours on paper

Let the hand go

The inside world spilled around 

Faces full of spirit

 

The vacuum is out, time to run!

Koolangkas get a pizza feed 

Before flying back out the door

Tornados of joy and laughter

Spinning out into the world