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23 May 2022
Atlas Professionals Perth has recently had a beautiful piece of Aboriginal artwork commissioned by the talented Michelle ‘Wilura’ Kickett.
Michelle, who was born in Perth, originated from the Noongar tribe and is a member of the Bal-lar-dong and Whad-juk clans which are traditionally based in the York and Perth areas. She started sketching at the age of 10 and moved to painting with acrylics as a teenager after observing her father, renowned Noongar artist Noongali (Dennis Kickett).
Michelle’s paintings relate to the traditional Aboriginal ways of life and the dreamtime stories passed down from her elders. She hopes to educate non-Aboriginal people about the traditional and contemporary aspects of her culture that is expressed through her work.
When Michelle came to us with her artwork, she wanted it to be an educational experience. Her work really tries to focus on reconciliation. She hopes to build the bridges between our communities, so the wider community has a better understanding of the local culture, the Noongar people, and the history of the land we are on. She hopes to raise awareness of what was once there and bring that into our modern-day life to educate people about those who came before us.
This artwork is very special to us as we celebrate 5 years of Atlas Professionals in Australia this July. We had the chance to speak with Michelle and she explained the meaning behind the painting.
“The Atlas Professionals company is the focal point of the design which is represented and depicted centrally as a circular design symbolising the Perth office, staff, and location which is sitting on Boodja land. The artwork further reflects the company’s journey, history, and mission. This central feature of the design further reflects the company’s commitment to their staff and the family orientated professional working environment in which they operate in. The design includes the Atlas Company core values and other above-mentioned themes, which are represented using traditional Aboriginal motifs and techniques. This type of traditional iconography was practiced by Noongar people to tell stories and show maps to the tribespeople by way of drawing in the sand and is an ideal way to symbolise and represent this commission’s theme.”
Michelle believes there is harmony in symmetry, and this is displayed throughout the whole piece. The artwork incorporates our company logo and its values, the local country including our focus on renewable energy sources, the coastal area of Western Australia, our international waters and oil rigs, Atlas Professionals International and finally the companies journey: past, present, and future.
We are so honoured to have this incredible piece of Aboriginal artwork by Michelle hanging in our reception at the Atlas Professionals Perth office.
