Indigenous Artists
In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are affected by illness and disease at a far greater rate than non-Indigenous Australians and are less likely to seek medical support. Creating culturally safe health practices and products can reduce stigma and assist Indigenous Australians to comfortably access necessary treatments.
Physiotherapy Innovations, an Indigenous owned business, has been creating culturally safe medical devices since 2016 when we introduced our first, limited edition, Indigenous designed Therabubble™️. We are proud to now have a permanent range of Indigenous designed Therabubble™️ units to support Indigenous healthcare needs. Enlisting the skills of budding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, we have taken our founding Therabubble™️ units and have printed brightly coloured artworks on them that relate to Indigenous communities across Australia. The aim is to engage people not only in their healthcare, but also for all Australians to participate in the celebration of our rich Indigenous culture.
Misty Levett is the mother of two young children and was first inspired to experiment in her artwork whilst educating her children about and celebrating NAIDOC week several years ago. Since then, her family in law have encouraged her to continue with her artwork as they recognised the talent she had. Her husband, Colin Ryder, is also an artist and together they have a Facebook page where you can view and purchase their work at Perth Modern Aboriginal Art.
Misty is a Yamitji woman who was born in Kalgoorlie and raised in Geraldton which was also her Mother’s country. Misty has a rich geographical cultural span with her Grandfather being a Bardi man from Dampier Peninsula and raised in Broome and Grandmother a Noongar woman from Northam/Clackline area. Through her artwork, Misty has a very strong spiritual connection where she continues to learn and be inspired to learn more about her Indigenous culture. Her Grandfather’s clan are Salt Water People and this has inspired her work of the Turtle on the Therabubble and highlights this connection.
The serpent, the first addition to our permanent Indigenous artwork range of Therabubble, was something Misty was compelled to draw and later found this to be very relevant to her Grandmother’s people- the Noongar people. Misty has really enjoyed doing her art and it makes her feel a sense of calm as well as having a sense of connection with her culture through the different symbols and animals used. She particularly enjoys being able to contribute to the ongoing education of Indigenous culture through her art with her family and others. Misty has had experience in both the health care and educational settings and through her artwork is now inspired to do further work in the Indigenous Health Care Setting. Check out her incredible artworks on Facebook by searching Perth Modern Aboriginal Art.
Physiotherapy Innovations would like to recognise and thank Misty Levett for her special contribution to the Indigenous Therabubble range.
Together-You Can Do It
Designed by Aboriginal artist, Wendy Rix of Wensart.
"Together" is a beautiful piece signifying working together to achieve great things. This unit is unique in that the artist welcomes people to colour in to share their experience with the piece. Parts of the art have deliberately been left blank for you to colour. We thank Wendy very much for allowing us to print a copy of the art and story to add to the packaging for those that wish to colour on paper for greater ease.
Here is a snippet from the wonderful and inspirational Wendy
"The use of footprints in my paintings represents moving forward. They represent hope, encouragement, and a journey that we all take both on our own, with our family and friends, and in our community. This design is about never giving up.
Yaama! Hello! My name is Wendy Rix and I am a contemporary visual artist living in Queensland, Australia. My family are from Goodooga, New South Wales, and I am descendant of the Yuwaalaraay people of that area. I love going home to visit the family, even though its hot and dry!
I find painting very calming, therapeutic and spiritual. I paint in response to music, conversations, colours, feelings, nature, my past, my present and my future. Sometimes I wake up with an idea in my head, other times I have an idea, but I need to work through it, so I lie quietly and pray and then I just paint, and it comes. I rarely plan too much ahead, and rarely actually map out out a painting. It grows as I grow. Indigenous artwork tells a story and all paintings find their owner by their connection to the story as well as the visual impact. I paint in a contemporary style, drawing from my history and family, about experiences and circumstances relevant to today, although the themes can translate across ages, culture and time.
I am a full time artist, but this has not always been so. I am Registered Nurse, I have been in the Army, I have worked in a ladies dress shop, worked in an Indigenous medical centre and for a Lands Council, and I have mowed lawns - sometimes overlapping 🙂 I raised my children as a single parent from when they were around 10yrs old, and now they are successful young women whom I am immensely proud of. I live by my motto of doing unto others what I would have done to me, and that giving up was never an option, there are plenty of letters in the alphabet for more plans."
Physiotherapy Innovations would like to recognise and thank Wendy Rix for her special contribution to the Indigenous Therabubble range.
Meeting Place
Designed by Aboriginal artist, Samantha Egan of Marra Dreaming
Samantha was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1988 and is a descendant of the Stolen Generation. She is a talented and successful emerging Indigenous artist and has won multiple awards for her paintings. Samantha acknowledges her mother (Indigenous artist, Raylene Snow) as her most important mentor and influence. "Meeting Place" beautifully signifies the "The main meeting place in the centre represents your organisation, it has links/paths to other organisations and services you work with. It also shows lines and paths leading out from your organisation which symbolise your links and your impact in the community.
Physiotherapy Innovations would like to recognise and thank Samantha Egan for her special contribution to the Indigenous Therabubble range.
