A Uniquely Australian Collection
We are thrilled to share the results of an exciting collaboration between Sandy Feet Australia and Indigenous Artist Francoise Lane - the 'Sea Tales' collection. Living in Far North Queensland, Francoise has always had a strong connection with ocean life and its surrounding landscape which has inspired much of her work. Her artistic style and influences were a perfect fit with Sandy Feet Australia, and we hope you love the result.
As you all may be aware, at Sandy Feet Australia it has been important to us over the past few years to use our platform to provide opportunities for local artists to share their work with those at home as well as abroad. This search for local talent most recently led us to Francoise Lane. I can't tell you how honoured I am to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented and unique artist.
Among the many achievements throughout her decades long career Francoise was a recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts 'Helsinki International Arts Program’, and more recently was recently appointed as artistic director of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF). I'd love to share more with you about her story and the story behind the artworks contained in this collection.
More about Francoise
Francoise Lane is a Torres Strait Islander woman whose maternal family are from Kerriri and are descendants of the Meriam and Kaurareg people of the Torres Strait Islands. Together with her husband Andrew Lane are Indij Architecture and Design; a 100% indigenous owned award winning architectural and design practice based in Cairns and operating since 2011. Francoise is an interior designer, textile designer and artist describing her work as straddling the intersection between design and art including exhibition curation and leading creative art projects. Her work is inspired by family, connection to country and the plants and animals of Tropical Queensland.
"I’m instinctively drawn to subjects whereby patterns can create their own ‘energy’ on a canvas. As an example ‘Sardines under the Wharf’ on a large canvas creates a visual play of movement, like the stylised fish are swimming ." Francoise Lane
More about the artwork contained in the Sea Tales Collection
"Sardines Under the Wharf"
At certain times of the year schools of sardine swim around and under the Kerriri (Hammond Island, TSI) wharf. The sardines are jigged by hand and used as live bait for fishing from the wharf. On one holiday visit to Kerriri my family went fishing together. At that time my youngest son was 3 years old. He caught a sardine on his line, made friends with it and decided to keep him safe in his pocket. It was a couple of hours later that we discovered and met his new friend. The give away was the wet and slightly smelly patch around his shorts pocket. ‘Sardines under the Wharf’ as a concept was developed to preserve the special memory I have of my son and his aquatic friend.
"Squiddy Tales"
Squids…a beautiful translucent and graceful creature with…ahh black ink and memories of it all over my face! One wet season night on Engineers Wharf on Thursday Island (Torres Strait Islands) I celebrated as my husband hooked his first squid. Being a mainland Islander I had yet to experience the spraying of the ink. I was oblivious to the youngsters and my husband stepping away from the bucket as I leaned over to view squid. I was baptized by squid ink that night to the delight of the young ones also fishing during the midnight hours. On another occasion whilst snorkelling on the reef I was studied by a school of some 12 squid. Initially they were hard to spot being translucent creatures. They were observing me like a larger less graceful squiddy thing worth calling in the family to look at. All the while I was thinking of how much my family would love to eat these swimming calamaries!
"Dugong Tales"
Dugong is a traditional food source of the Torres Strait Islander people. My earliest memories of dugongs was as a toddler and being on the beach after my uncles had been hunting and speared one in preparation for feasting. I remember feeling sad and crying that the dugong had been killed. I have eaten dugong meat at feastings (Islander celebrations) and likened the taste to pork. Also known as sea cows dugongs feed on seagrass. I think they are beautiful creatures and especially like seeing a calf with its mother.
This is a limited time collection and we can't wait to hear what you think!
