First Nation Artists Denise Quall, James Gaston, Dotty Fejo and Kenny Reid. 

 

In 2014 Tom was commissioned for a large public art project with Aboriginal artists of Larrakia Nation; Larrakia are the Aboriginal custodians of the Darwin region. The concept was to integrate a major artwork with the architecture for the new Menzies School of Health Research building at Royal Darwin Hospital. The resulting artworks dominate three facades of this award winning building by Hames Sharley Architects. These laser cut screens are two metres high and traverse over sixty metres in length.

 

This artwork embodies the local culture and knowledge of the Larrakia Community. This was a Larrakia Arts collaboration in which Tom guided concept and design processes, and then had responsibility for project management, detailing and documentation. He facilitated artist workshops to , and regularly presented the concepts and developed designs to the client, builders and other stakeholders.

 

The primary focus of the Menzies School of Health Research is Indigenous health; the stories told here are about the health and vitality of Aboriginal Australians of northern Australia. Bush foods such as Billy goat plums and bush peanuts are represented, as is smoke, used for ceremonial human and environmental healing in Larrakia culture.

 

A nearby sacred sight, Dariba Nungalinya is represented with the silhouette of a powerful male face, and the pre-European trading links with Macassan trepang fishers are depicted with a Macassan prau (sailing vessel).

 

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