Ku’arlu Mangga, meaning ‘good nest’, is a community centre that provides assistance to Aboriginal residents in Northampton, a town north of Geraldton. Ku’arlu Mangga actively seek and promote opportunities for highly visible, positive cultural expression in their community, with a particular focus on youth wellbeing.
Four Ku’arlu Mangga artists were selected to be part of the 2020 Revealed Exhibition – Colleen Drage, Mauretta Drage, Beverly Peck and Leanne Peck.
The group were supported by the Revealed Regional Exhibition Workshops program to make a new series of work for the exhibition. Perth-based artist and printmaker Rachel Salmon-Lomas travelled to the art centre in January, working with the artists and encouraging them to experiment with new printmaking techniques. The resulting works are inspired by the bushfoods, collecting vessels and animals of the region.
With a strong graphic style and crisp, bold colours, these affordable prints are a perfect gift or ideal if you’re looking to start your art collection.
Ku’arlu Mangga also have a fun range of drink bottles, keep cups, textiles and prints available via their website.
About the Artists
Colleen Drage grew up in Ajana and on the Murchison River, then moved to Northampton for her high school education. She spent her early married life in Northampton and Tardun, raising five children and becoming involved in the Yakka program, which supported youth in the Mullewa area. Drage is the Community Coordinator and Founding Member for the Ku’arlu Mangga and was a Board member for the West Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council (2011-15).
Mauretta Drage grew up in Northampton and Wandalgu. She is a special needs teachers’ assistant at Cable Beach Primary School and often works as a Supervisor for Northampton Old School Youth Program. Drage teaches wood burning and painting in the youth program and assists the cultural camps in the Murchison River near Kalbarri. Drage has been developing her painting practice with Ku’arlu Mangga since 2010 and since 2017 has been working with printmaking techniques.
Beverly Peck is a member of the Ku’arlu Mangga art team. Beverly enjoys making beautiful things from beads and recycled objects such as massed wildflowers from plastic bottles. She enjoys making prints with her daughter Leanne, with whom she shares her Goanna stories. Revealed is her first exhibition.
Leanne Peck grew up in Wiluna and is an artist who often uses recycled and found objects such as wildflowers and plastic bottles in her works. Since 2015, Peck has been developing her painting and printmaking practice with Ku’arlu Mangga. Revealed is her first exhibition.