art with heart
But with a little encouragement from Tenant Engagement and Capacity Building Officer Alex Kepes, the self-taught artist put three of her dot paintings on display. “My first visit to Allira’s home in 2021 I was struck by the children’s colourful artwork and inspirational sayings on the walls. Among piles of schoolwork and papers I spotted a beautiful, colourful and intricate dot paining on her dining table, she shyly told me she loved to paint as a hobby, how it made her feel calm. I knew then we had found another talented WA artist,” said Alex. Allira said inspiration for her work comes from a range of places, with First Nations musicians, authors as well as her own connection to her people and Country influencing her most recent pieces. "I feel privileged, in a sense, to be able to put my artworks out there without any repercussions,” she said. "It took me a long time to discover where my ancestry is actually from … recently we discovered it was YUED-WHADJUK.” “Growing up people would say: ‘you’re not Aboriginal’ and I would say ‘I am’. The way I found out was really random. A neighbour of ours said they’d just heard on the radio that the city council for the Ballardong area have got some land claims in. It was as simple as making a phone call, and my mum giving the names of family members. “SWALSC (South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council) officially confirmed who my mob is. “Hearing it on loudspeaker after all of those years, was like, wow. I wish I had recorded it.” Allira said finding a creative outlet had also helped her teen children Tahlia and Jeramiah express themselves. Tahlia is a fellow painter and Jeramiah chose Lego as his medium of choice. Artwork from all three has gradually filled their home of 8 years. Before finding accommodation with Housing Choices, the family were living in unsuitable accommodation. When Tahlia and Jeramiah were children, Allira left an abusive relationship and was forced to change address. She applied for multiple rentals in the private market but was continually knocked back.
YUED-WHADJUK woman, artist and Housing Choices resident Allira was hesitant to enter the 2022 Western Australia Tenant Art Show. The paintings dotted across the walls of her two-bedroom unit were created for her own enjoyment, she explained. “It’s like art therapy. I find I can get my jitters out…if I put it on canvas I feel better,” Allira said.
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