"Willomin Stories" by Geoffrey Woods

Artist: Geoffrey Woods Region: Gnowangerup, WA Size: 101 x 76 cm Free Worldwide Shipping Geoffrey Woods is a Noongar artist from Gnowangerup, south of Albany, and a proud Wilomin man from the south-west of Western Australia. His deep connection to Country, language and Law is at the heart of his practice, and his paintings are a continuation of the stories and cultural knowledge passed down through his family and community. Working in a traditional yet distinctly personal style, Geoffrey’s art is grounded in the Dreaming stories of his Wilomin ancestors. He paints the forms of the land, the tracks of ancestral beings and the symbols of ceremony and kinship as they have been shared with him by tribal elders over many generations. Geoffrey is the son of the late Jeff Roberts, a highly regarded Aboriginal artist whose work and teachings continue to shape Geoffrey’s practice. Under his father’s guidance, Geoffrey learnt not only painting skills, but also the cultural responsibilities that come with representing Noongar stories. Through his art, he honours his father’s legacy and keeps Wilomin Dreaming narratives alive, offering viewers a deeper, culturally grounded insight into Noongar life, Country and identity. Meaning behind the work Two central figures in Geoffrey’s work are the emu and the blue-tongued lizard, each carrying layered cultural and spiritual meaning within Wilomin and wider Noongar story. The emu is a powerful creator and traveller, a being that moves across vast stretches of Country. In Geoffrey’s paintings, the emu often appears as a guide across the painted surface, its tracks and pathways echoing the songlines that run through Wilomin Country. The emu speaks of journeys between waterholes, camps and meeting places, of the responsibilities people hold when moving through other people’s lands, and of the way families and clans are brought together. As a provider of eggs and meat, the emu also represents sustenance, the seasonal rhythms of hunting, and the way Noongar people live in balance with the changing cycles of the year. Through his use of patterning, line work and earth-based colours, Geoffrey shows the emu as both a physical presence on the land and an ancestral teacher who reminds people of their obligations to respect Country. The blue-tongued lizard, close to the ground and attuned to every shift in the environment, holds its own important place in Wilomin story. In Geoffrey’s work, the blue-tongued lizard often symbolises quiet strength, resilience and protection. Its slow, deliberate movements and habit of sheltering under rocks and vegetation reflect a deep knowledge of refuge and survival on Country. For Noongar people, such animals can act as messengers or warning signs, indicating changes in weather, the presence of other creatures or the right time to gather certain bush foods. Geoffrey’s detailed markings and rich, textured surfaces around the blue-tongued lizard evoke the warmth of the soil, the sheltering places in the scrub and the intimate relationship between people and the ground beneath their feet. The lizard’s distinctive blue tongue becomes a striking visual motif, suggesting the power of spoken story, language and the passing on of cultural knowledge. Together, the emu and blue-tongued lizard in Geoffrey’s paintings embody key Wilomin teachings about balance, respect and responsibility: travelling across Country with care, listening closely to the land, and understanding that every being has its place and purpose.