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Aboriginal Art speaks to the soul

  • Writer: Pascal Lagesse
    Pascal Lagesse
  • Jan 28, 2025
  • 2 min read

The influence of Aboriginal art is very present in my subconscious and in my paintings and it is with this idea in mind that I went to see the exhibition “Spinifex People: Art and Stories of Pila Nguru” at the Boola Bardip Museum in Perth. The exhibition is a modern story with ancient origins, celebrating the creativity and resilience of a unique Aboriginal community through their art, images and words.

A map displayed at the Spinifex People: Art and Stories from Pila Nguru exhibition at the Western Australia Museum, showing the remote Spinifex Country of Western Australia — homeland of the Pila Nguru people. Communities including Ilkurlka, Tjuntjuntjara, Cundeelee, Yakatunya and Coonana are marked across the vast desert landscape, thousands of kilometres from Perth. The art created in this extraordinary, ancient country was a profound inspiration for Mauritian artist Pascal Zafer and the development of the Zafer style. Keywords: Spinifex Country, Pila Nguru, Western Australia, Aboriginal homeland, Tjuntjuntjara, Ilkurlka, Spinifex People exhibition, Aboriginal art map, Pascal Zafer inspiration, Western Australia Museum Perth.
Spinifex Country, WA.

Mauritian artist Pascal Zafer stands transfixed before a monumental Aboriginal dot painting at the Spinifex People: Art and Stories from Pila Nguru exhibition at the Western Australia Museum in Perth. The look of deep concentration on his face captures a pivotal moment of creative connection — an artist face to face with one of the ancient traditions that helped shape his own Zafer style. A personal pilgrimage to the source of a lifelong inspiration. Keywords: Pascal Zafer, Spinifex People, Aboriginal art, Western Australia Museum, Perth, dot painting, Pila Nguru, Zafer style, Mauritian artist, artistic influences, Aboriginal inspiration.

At the entrance, we are greeted by this quote: “This is our story and the history of our Spinifex Art Project. The old people were born in this country, and painting helped get this Country back.”



Aboriginal art is not simply a succession of small dots on a surface. It is a form of communication to tell history, geography, myths and legends, among other things. I was left speechless before the paintings and the power they evoke. There is so much to learn from these artists that it would take years to begin to understand their art. In my next life, I will need to be Australian.


Pascal Lagesse visits the exhibition Spinifex People: Art and Stories from Pila Nguru at the Western Australia Museum in Perth — a landmark showcase of Aboriginal dot painting by the Spinifex People of the Great Victoria Desert. Large-scale canvases of extraordinary intricacy line the burnt-orange walls, their swirling circles, dotted lines and flowing patterns bearing witness to tens of thousands of years of cultural memory. For Pascal Lagesse, whose Zafer style draws direct inspiration from Aboriginal Australian artistic traditions, this visit represents a deeply personal encounter with one of painting's most powerful living languages. Keywords: Spinifex People, Aboriginal art, Western Australia Museum, Perth, dot painting, Pila Nguru, Zafer style influence, Aboriginal dot painting, Pascal Lagesse, Mauritian artist Australia.

The Spinifex Art Project is also about creating art as a community. Several artists get together and paint on a canvas and, through their art, tell their personal story. Artistic creation then takes on a universal dimension because it encompasses a multitude of points of view, and its richness becomes inestimable. The artwork is no longer personal but a collective view.


Mauritian artist Pascal Zafer photographs Kulyuru (2022) by Spinifex artist Lennard Walker at the Spinifex People: Art and Stories from Pila Nguru exhibition, Western Australia Museum, Perth. A monumental concentric circle composition in deep reds and golds — one of the works that left a lasting impression on Zafer during his personal pilgrimage to experience the Aboriginal artistic traditions that have long inspired the Zafer style. Keywords: Lennard Walker, Kulyuru, Spinifex People, Aboriginal art, Western Australia Museum, concentric circles, dot painting, Pascal Zafer inspiration, Pila Nguru, Perth art exhibition.
Kulyuru, 2022 by Lennard Walker

I have always been captivated by Aboriginal Art, and since I was a child, I have felt a connection to it. After seeing these original paintings, I understood that they connect not only with our eyes or minds but also with our souls. I realised that my art is still very far from what I would like it to be, and that I need to work twice as hard to put the essence of my feelings on canvas. As the Aboriginal artists do.


Mauritian artist Pascal Zafer photographs Kamanti (2022) by Spinifex artist Noli Rictor at the Spinifex People: Art and Stories from Pila Nguru exhibition, Western Australia Museum, Perth. A vast field of densely dotted red ochre broken by geometric blocks of colour and a delicate threading line — a work of breathtaking scale and meditative intensity that spoke directly to Zafer's own exploration of pattern, repetition and meaning in the Zafer style. Keywords: Noli Rictor, Kamanti, Spinifex People, Aboriginal art, Western Australia Museum, dot painting, Pila Nguru, Pascal Zafer inspiration, Perth art exhibition, Aboriginal geometric art.
Kamanti, 2022 by Noli Rictor

The “Spinifex People: Art and Stories of Pila Nguru” exhibition has been a sort of wake-up call for me, like no other exhibition has done before. Aboriginal Art definitely speaks to the soul.

 
 
 

1 Comment

Nancy willams
Nancy willams
May 13

This article was beautifully written and truly captured the emotional depth of Indigenous creativity. The way you described the spiritual connection and storytelling behind Aboriginal Paintings was inspiring and meaningful. It’s amazing how art can speak so powerfully to the soul while preserving culture and tradition.

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