Artists statement

"Painting stories like this means a lot to me, because that is part of my identity, going right back to the traditional, and painting those stories means everybody knows them and shows my connection to country. The painting, 'Bimba Dowera', examines the story of the origin of fire. The story is that there were two old women who kept firesticks and would not share them. People wondered how to get fire from these sticks. One day, a small boy decided to retrieve the fire sticks for everyone to use. He followed the old women, and they invited him to camp with them. While they were asleep, he took the fire sticks and ran away." - Ray Thomas

Thomas depicts the young boy fleeing from the camp. In the foreground is a Diamond Firetail finch, which the boy later became. In Gunnai language, Bimba Dowera, means 'Shoot out, Fire'.

Artist Bio
Ray comes from the Gunnai people and is mainly self-taught, he became involved in painting through and introduction to the late Lin Onus in the early 70’s. Since the mid 80’s Ray has been researching his Gunnai peoples' myths, legends and traditional designs and markings held in the archives of museums. Of significant influence and inspiration has been the work and career of the late Lin Onus around 1974, during what he called his ‘landscape’ days. From this meeting, a spark was ignited in Ray to paint the country in the western landscape tradition. His work has developed and evolved into a more personal style that combines contemporary sensibility, incorporating traditional Gunnai designs and imagery. His new works display an extraordinary technical skill level and a mastery of both oils and acrylics, but most importantly, they belie a confidence and serenity of a mature artist, content in his achievement of learning culture to the extent that he is now able to show his people’s story through his art for all to see.