Sophie Elizabeth Lear Biripai’s totem

My body of work is inspired by my Aboriginal culture and my mob Biripai’s totem – the Great White Shark. In creating these prints and ceramics, my intent is to provide an insight into my family’s connection to my culture – the Indigenous culture in Taree, New South Wales, Australia. The Great White Shark is the main totem of the Biripai people. It is a link to the dreamtime and spiritual world. I used clay, coming from the earth, for the totems to express the strong Indigenous connection to the land. In my work colour, waves and circles represent the shark and the movement through water.