BELANJEE
Bringing visual knowledge of Country to recreate an authenticity to place
Belanjee embraces the visual and interconnected worlds on both traditional and contemporary knowledges associated with arts, health and healing.
Holding a PhD in Indigenous Knowledges within Creativity and Design, Belanjee integrates Indigenous Knowledges into architectural education by highlighting the principles of Country-guided practices. Her work involves restorative practices that reflect Country by connecting people to the cultural and spiritual aspects within design. As an Indigenous designer within the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Belanjee embeds Indigenous knowledge systems within learning so that students can investigate how the built environment needs to reflect an authenticity of place.
In utilising traditional Aboriginal visual knowledges, she explores creativity within making from a contemporary standpoint whilst acknowledging past traditional practices. Her ways of making and seeing, form elements of visual literacies that portray story lines through the use of colour, form and context.
"My works speak of the realities in life. I try to produce imagery that is healing – thus I work in a preventative space rather than reactive. It is my belief that art can assist in recovery – that art can help our emotions calm, so that we can reflect on ourselves and our past and present circumstances. The concept of making is beneficial to all people undergoing some sort of trauma – as it allows a space where verbal stories may be too difficult to speak. Hence visual stories can capture issues – even if they are only squiggles and markings – its all about what transpires within the making process."
Liz (Blenajee) Cameron
Creative ways of making and seeing within traditional Australian Aboriginal healing practices, not only contain narrative informations but also cultural intent that allows for emotional healing through psychotherapeutic processes. Traditional creative practices serve as a cultural porthole in obtaining a sense of wellbeing through achieving greater self insight. Ways of making and seeing within creative healing practices is a spiritual transforming processes that fosters conscious and unconscious reasoning through a cultural lens.
Transformative psychological approaches of cultural embodied sense making offers a unique insight in how trans-generational experimental knowledge through visual interplay has validity in todays society. Within this framework that Liz has developed a deep personal commitment in advancing leadership in Indigenous education at local, national and global levels. Her extensive expertise in embedding cultural competencies within a university setting through actively engaging Elders, Knowledge Holders, students and staff across academia and communities.
