Shari O’Dwyer, a Meanjin/Brisbane based artist, delves into her cross-cultural experiences through a multidisciplinary practice, aiming to reconcile with her suppressed South Sea Islander heritage. Acknowledging her identity as a woman influenced by white culture, Shari strives to spark discussions around the Pacific slave trade’s impact on Australia from 1863 to the early 1900s. Her work serves as a medium to engage with her mother’s memories from a diasporic South Sea Islander community in Far North Queensland, seeking to bridge the gap between generations and cultures. Through art making, Shari confronts her detachment from family and grapples with the challenges of navigating a predominantly white society, all while striving to reclaim her sense of identity and heritage. Shari has exhibited her works in both group and solo exhibitions across Queensland including the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, Wreckers Artspace, Vacant Assembly, Kepk Art Studio and Outerspace Ari.
Acknowledgement of Country
I honour and respectfully acknowledge the custodians and traditional owners of the land, the Jagera and Turrbul people. I also pay my respects to the elders of the land, past, present and future.