Breaking Bread: Sharing the Bush Building Relationships.
Wall Installation, photographs, copper sculptures, rocks, paper/text.
The concept of 'to break bread' is the foundation for these artworks, where a conversation over a meal helps break barriers between people and build relationships in a meaningful way. Breaking Bread with our enemies indicates a sense of forgiveness and moving forward.
In colonial times Yamaji people in Geraldton shared knowledge of bush foods with the settlers or new people to their country, to support their survival on the land. From that point they were kind of breaking bread with the colonists when trading yams and sharing bush food knowledge. This knowledge was handed down over the generations to Charmaine and Tamati and to Jason's, and although in different ways, always on country or the land.
Jason recalls he went to his friends 10th birthday party at their property halfway to Northampton and climbed Elephant Hill and found some Kangaroo flax, which the kids dared each other to each eat. An adult with them told them it was safe to eat, and he Jason has been eating it ever since. Whilst Charmaine has learnt to eat kangaroo flax as a young child with her family, and she knew it as part of Yamaji bush foods along with the ajugo yarn yam and its fruits on the vine. These foods can be found in Wonthella Bushlands.
This artwork represents the artists 'Breaking Bread' with each other across the generations, social groups and communities.
Photos: Tamati Smith Words: Charmaine Green Art by: Jason and Charmaine
