Should you ever visit Yorkey’s Crossing on the northern outskirts of Port Augusta, you may find yourself speechless at the natural beauty before you. Be there at sunrise, and the beauty increases ten-fold as the sun rises over the Flinders Ranges.

‘It’s really important to understand our beautiful Country, and if we know what the real stories are behind our Country, we’ll respect it,’ reflects Indigenous artist and advocate, Lavene Ngatokorua. 

‘I wanted to do something that is a two-way journey through my eyes so that wider Australia can also have a look and respect our Country the way I see it.’

Starting out as an artist painting acrylic on canvas, Lavene expanded into photography after a conversation with her father.

‘My dad told me once about this particular tree while we were driving around and he said “that tree could be good if you captured that” - and then you’d be able to tell your kids and they’d be able to tell their kids and the story would go on.’ 

Tarnanthi is an annual festival that celebrates contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture in Australia. Lavene first had an opportunity to create and display her art for Tarnathi in the ’Vietnam - One In, All In’ exhibition in 2019. The exhibition acknowledged Aboriginal veterans’ service in the Vietnam War. She was also featured in the 2021 ‘Drifting Sands’ exhibition, and more recently, in 2023, she played a key role in ‘Rising Sun’, a photographic exploration exploring the themes of connection to Country.

Celebrating contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture in Australia, the festival is based in Adelaide and is presented by the Art Gallery of

South Australia in partnership with various Indigenous communities, art centres, and cultural institutions.

But Tarnanthi is more than just an art exhibition; it's a platform for cultural exchange, storytelling, and empowerment. It’s not just about aesthetics; it's a living expression of cultural identity and heritage. Through paintings, sculptures, textiles, and performances, Indigenous artists communicate stories, traditions, and connections to land that have been passed down through generations.

‘Truth of Country for me is about a lot of people driving around the country and they don't really know the stories behind it. And I thought now that I’m going into photography, I would do the truth telling of Country and what happened on Country.’

Lavene has been involved in the arts for many years. And while it’s important for her to tell the stories of Country, she is blessed with stunning landscapes in which to do so.  

BHP is the principal partner of Tarnanthi.