The Ancestors, 2026

This work considers the endurance of First Nations identity, knowledge and connection across generations. Four figures gather within the painting, their bodies sharing space. This draws on the formality of the family portrait while responding to colonial portraits within my own lineage in which my ancestors were positioned and presented through Western conventions. By withholding facial features, I allow the audience to interpret. The viewer is then invited to look at the body to receive an inkling of personality from each ancestor which is carried through posture, gesture and the relationship between each body. They form a protective presence over the viewer; ancestors watching over.

Varying skin tones are placed, representing the complexity of my own First Nations family lineage and the visible effects of colonisation across generations. Small pieces of raffia are woven directly into the canvas at a single ear of each of the figures. Raffia carries the association with First Nations ancient fibre practices and material knowledge. Positioned at the ear, it becomes a metaphor for the knowledge and stories passed between generations. This knowledge lies deep and brightly contrasted, no matter the skin shade.

Grouped together, 'The Ancestors' becomes a contemporary showcase of first nations families today, and regardless of outward appearance, the woven ears remain. Layers of acrylic and paper have been built up, worked back and sanded down. Weathered layers suggest the passage of time.

Inheritance cannot be measured by appearance alone but by the quiet continuum of knowledge shared by listening, memory and connection.

Jasmine Christie is a proud Palawa artist living and working on Worimi and Awabakal Country in Mulubinba/Newcastle. Her multidisciplinary practice explores motherhood, lineage, cultural memory, healing and the lived female experience through painting, fibre, weaving and sculptural forms.
Jasmine was the recipient of The Creator Incubator’s 2025/26 First Nations Artist in Residence and the 2026 NSW Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship. Her work has been exhibited across NSW and is held in private collections in the UK and the USA. She was recently selected as a judge for Reconciliation NSW’s Schools Reconciliation Challenge for the Art/Painting category across NSW and ACT.
Alongside her studio practice, Jasmine has undertaken curatorial work during her residency, coordinating an 11 artist show, including her duo show. Through her art and community workshops, she fosters connection, storytelling and empowerment while building a growing exhibition portfolio across NSW. Her developing practice brings contemporary material processes into conversation along with ancestry, memory, Country and lived experience.
*Prior to applying, Jasmine contacted the NEAP team regarding the dimensions of the framed artwork (125cm high including the frame) and was encouraged to still apply, with final eligibility remaining at the discretion of the judging committee.