PF2026 Boorloo Contemporary & Exhibitions Guide

Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo Power Station Commission

Bibbulmun Noongar and Budimia Yamatji artist Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo is one of the most senior and significant Noongar artists alive. He is renowned for his breathtaking depictions of Australian landscapes that skilfully weave First Nations spiritual beliefs and stories of connection into images of physical landforms. Paintings of this Country, wetlands to hills, often collating past, present and future into one scene, elegantly unveil a perspective the world needs. Tjyllyungoo has painted professionally since 1981, with his works celebrated both nationally and internationally. His theme is, and always has been, about connection. He believes his word ‘culture’ means connection of all forms of life and their symbiotic relationships, infused by Wirin (spirit) we call life and kept in reverence via song, dance, art, ceremony and lore. For this Power Station Commission the creative team, led by Tjyllyungoo and including Nigel Chadd and Trish Robinson in collaboration with digital artist Sam Price of What’s This Studio and creative producer Yabini Kickett, have thoughtfully curated a selection of Tjyllyungoo’s signature landscapes. These artworks speak deeply of Country, memory and ancestral presence. Together

they transform East Perth Power Station into a portal where colour and story spill across its solid architecture. This large-scale presentation celebrates Tjyllyungoo’s unique visual language while inviting audiences to feel surrounded by the spirit of place, creating a powerful connection to Noongar culture and Country. The selected works are deeply connected to the ground on which the Power Station stands, bringing the smallest of creatures to the forefront and celebrating their roles in keeping Country healthy. Boorloo is the name for a specific wetland that lies within the Perth CBD, although now affectionately used to refer to the wider Perth region. Boorloo as we know it today, is built upon many freshwater wetlands that have long provided food, medicines and gathering space for ceremony and celebration, and are home to Noongar Mob. Kwooyar/Koya/Kwidjar are all names for frogs within Noongar Boodjar – several of which are still found in Boorloo and nearby seasonal wetlands. Their presence signifies clean water and a healthy eco system. The frogs are often first to leave when environments become

polluted or uninhabitable. Tjyllyungoo has painted them for decades, acknowledging their role here and as a familial district totem. They feature heavily in the projections to remind viewers of the little ones, the kin, working diligently close to the ground, who sing after boorong, thankful for the water. The projections also feature a number of burning Karraduk (Balga stems). This represents an old story about how fire came to the Bibbulmen people. Life before fire. Koora Koora, a time long before the Ngyiddiny (Ice Age).

Kwotalbur – (sparrow hawk) and Wota – (bronze winged pigeon) were Konk (uncle) and Moya (nephew). They decided to take the fire from Meeka while he slept. They then put the fire high in all the trees. Meeka awoke, cold and angry and when he saw the fire he called out to Wordarn the great ocean, who was his Konk. Wordarn spread over Boodjar and put out the fire. Wota was boolbaitj (clever) and put the fire high in the trees and stem of the Balga flower. Now Meeka is always cold (Ngyddiny Meeka) – cold because he was greedy and refused to share. Karraduk was used traditionally for friction fire lighting and is still used today.’ The Balga is a powerful symbol of resistance, continuity and adaptation. They stand as a reminder that survival is not passive – it’s an active living persistence.

The following story is generously shared by Tjyllyungoo:

‘Balga (grass tree) is our ‘Fire Tree’. Karrak, (red tailed cockatoo) was responsible for teaching us how to get fire from Karraduk (the flower stem of the Balga.) In the Ngyiddiny, the Bibbulmun people had no fire. Only Meeka (the moon) had fire kept in his tail and would not give it to the Nyoongarah (men).

A Boorloo Contemporary commission for Perth Festival supported by

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