Kulkarawa Meeanjinu

In-House Turrbal Artist

Kulkarawa Meeanjinu is a young Aboriginal artist from Brisbane, Australia. Kulkarawa is a Turrbal and Gubbi Gubbi woman with additional bloodline connections to Wakka Wakka, Kamilaroi and Birri Gubba Country. She was named after her great, great, great grandmother who was the daughter of Daki Yakka (Chief of the Brisbane Tribe during the first half of the 19th century). 

Kulkarawa was born in Barrambin (York’s Hollow/Victoria Park) on the lands of the Daki Yakka clan (sub-group of the Turrbal Tribe). She grew up on her ancestral homelands of Meeanjin (Brisbane) learning the traditional laws and customs from her elders. Throughout her childhood, Kulkarawa had a very strong bond with her nana, Connie Isaacs, who was raised on Cherbourg Aboriginal Reserve in the early 1900s. Before her passing in 2013, nana Connie imparted Kulkarawa with her knowledge of the Turrbal and Gubbi Gubbi traditional songlines and dreaming stories. Kulkarawa’s rich cultural upbringing and strong connection to country enable her to convey the sacred knowledge of her people in her artwork.

Kulkarawa conveys the stories of her ancestors which have been passed down over thousands of years through canvas paintings. Being of both freshwater mob and saltwater mob, Kulkarawa’s artwork portrays these elements. Often her pieces are centred around the waterways of Maiwar (the Brisbane River), Marutchi Nuken (the Maroochy River), the surrounding coastal seas and the native fauna.

If you would like to commission Kulkarawa Meeanjinu for a painting, you can contact us.