Our travels brought us to Sheep Hills, Victoria. It’s a place where the art of storytelling has taken on a monumental scale, literally. Forget picture books; here, the history and spirit of the Indigenous people are etched onto towering silos, transforming the landscape into an open-air gallery.
The Sheep Hills silos, built in 1938, were chosen as the canvas for Melbourne-based artist Adnate.
His work serves as a powerful visual representation of the stories of Indigenous Australians, with a particular focus on the stories of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council. The artistry is stunning. The portraits are hyper-realistic. These massive faces exude wisdom and seem to watch over the plains.
The artist worked in close partnership with the community in late 2016 to conceive and complete the mural. Adnate sought to depict four elders and two young Indigenous people to highlight the strong ancestral connection between past and future generations. The bright light radiating from the young people represents wisdom, dreaming, knowledge and illumination passed down through generations.
While admiring the massive murals, we were sure to read about the artist’s vision and the process undertaken.
This art is a testament to the power of collaboration between the community and artists. We are happy the Silo Art Trail initiative continues to revitalize these rural areas and make their stories known. If you want to fully appreciate the art, we suggest reading the sign too!