‘ngandipawa' (breath), 2021

this work reflects on living, breathing and breath. reflections, insights, awakenings, epiphanies.

words in Gunditjmara language are written on the parchment following the outline contours of wallaby lungs.

how is it we are only one breath away from not breathing?

the evolving, shape shifting of ... living, breathing and breath....

Vicki Couzens

Dr. Vicki Couzens is a Gunditjmara woman from the Western Districts of Victoria. Vicki acknowledges her Ancestors and Elders who guide her work.

Working in Aboriginal community affairs for 40 years, Vicki’s contributions in the reclamation, regeneration and revitalisation of cultural knowledge and practice extend across the ‘arts and creative cultural expression’ spectrum including language revitalisation, ceremony, community arts, public art, visual and performing arts, and writing.

Vicki is Senior Knowledge Custodian for Possum Skin Cloak Story and Language Reclamation and Revival in her Keerray Woorroong Mother Tongue; Vice Chancellors Indigenous Research Fellow at RMIT, where she is currently developing ‘watnanda koong meerreeng , tyama-ngan malayeetoo (together body and country, we know long time)’ a project that is investigating how revitalisation of cultural knowledges and practices affect healing in Aboriginal individuals, families and communities and builds resilience and capability towards sovereign nation building aspirations, opportunities and a realised living legacy.

 Vicki is rebuilding the Gunditjmara Grammar to facilitate a new phase of language learning through immersive experiences and home-based, self-directed family clan learning.  She is currently writing plain language resources for this community learning.