Learn about the artist behind the Fish Dreaming artwork

Michael Kirk is a Gamilaroi artist and lifelong fisherman from Moree who grew up with a deep connection to his local waterways. Having spent most of his childhood on the local riverbanks thanks to his grandmother’s influence, his connection to Country flows through the artworks he creates.

In this Q&A, Michael shares the roots of his creativity and why healthy waterways mean everything to his community.

How did you get involved with OzFish? 

My mate, Harry, got in touch with me and asked me if I want to come out and work with OzFish, and I said yes. So, I met Harry basically through family.

How did you become an artist?

Just sitting around with my grandmother and watching her. She used to do carving on emu eggs. So, I carve emu eggs. I use an engraver to do that, or the old shearing blades.

With my paintings, I usually use a canvas—or just about anything that I can paint on, really. I even used the OzFish River Repair Bus window one day, but that was a little bit harder.

What inspires you? 

Just nature, really, and the stuff I grew up doing that I learned from my elders—like my grandmother and grandfather. It’s what they passed down to me, so fish feature often.

I grew up on the riverbank. The yellow belly and cotton catfish are a big part of my paintings and dreaming, really to see the fish in our rivers and do good. 

Have you designed any tattoos? 

I have designed a few tattoos, and a few of the boys got me to do tattoos on them. I did a big goanna on one of the boy’s shoulders and on his calf muscle. I’ve also got to sketch up Harry’s cod and put that on him.

Tell us a bit about the OzFish Fish Dreaming artworks.

The story behind the painting I did was about the connection between people and the waterways. And how it supported the Aboriginal people, my food and the connection to the country, which is the dots in the painting.

For the freshwater one, I used the yellow belly. And for the salt water one, I used the stingray and the whale. For the colours in the yellow belly one, the brown represents the land, and the red and yellow represents the sky and the waterways.

The connection to the waterways is significant. I grew up getting taught about the waterways by my grandmother, aunties and uncles – out of respect for it. 

Has your connection to the waterways changed over the years?

When I was growing up on the Mehi, it was always flowing. Now you can go for months and years without it flowing, which is pretty bad. It’s just a part of life. Like they say, there’s no life without water.

If I had a magic wand, I’d make sure there’s plenty of fish in the river for the young ones coming up today. To see them with fish for the next generation, and the generation after that.

What is your hope for Australian waterways for the future?

Just that they’re healthy and thriving, with more fish in the river for the next generation coming up.

To learn more about the Fish Dreaming program, please visit the link below.