Statement piece: Striking new artwork unveiled at Karrinyup

Karrinyup Shopping Centre has marked National Reconciliation Week with the unveiling of a striking artwork by local artist and Whadjuk man Justin Martin.

Sitting atop the eastern entrance within the centre, the 5m by 2m digitally-designed piece pays homage to native flora and fauna through a mixture of modern and traditional methods.

“Growing up in Karrinyup, I’ve played in every single bushland. It has a lot of important wildlife species and I’ve tried to represent these as special spirit animals and guides in life,” Martin said.

DISCOVER THE LATEST NEWS FROM YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH PERTHNOW DIGITAL EDITIONS

Using traditional Noongar linework, the artwork covers the coastline, the lake lands and the bush, with Karrinyup Shopping Centre represented in the middle. The blues, yellows and greens signify the changes in landscape.

“It’s about the joining of the past and the present. The Karrinyup lakes were incredibly important traditional, hunting and gathering grounds for Noongar people,” Martin said.

“The colours that you see are soothing colours and the linework is a representation of the country in Noongar culture.

“The gold ribbons, which represent our songlines and connection to Country, are mirrored, so when people see the artwork it’s reflective and they can see themselves in those lines.”

Martin said his passion for art and sharing his culture was inherited from his family members, namely his deceased grandmother and Karrinyup elder Joan Martin.

Karrinyup Shopping Centre general manager Ben Davis said the “amazing piece”, which has been installed on large acrylic panels, had “captured the essence of Karrinyup’s locality and vibrancy”.

“It has created a welcoming entrance to the centre while also telling a unique story of the area,” he said.