Aboriginal artist profiles
Artwork by Dennis Golding, Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay man. Commissioned by Cancer Institute NSW.
Our Artists
Dennis Golding
Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay man, Dennis Golding, is a Sydney-based artist and also works as the First Nations Creative Producer at Australian Design Centre. Completing his Fine Arts Honours program at UNSW Art & Design, Dennis has developed a creative practice that explores empowering representations of identity and race.
Dennis Golding is a member of the Re-Right Collective, and a current artist in residence at Artspace Sydney. Most recently, he won the Aboriginal Art Award in the 2019 Fishers Ghost Art Awards, and has been named a finalist of the 2020 NSW Visual Arts Emerging Fellowship.
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About the artwork
Communicating for and about Aboriginal communities is unique, with stories often told in a very visual way through art. Recognising this, the Cancer Institute NSW commissioned Dennis to create this master artwork to depict the organisation’s story, highlighting its collaboration with other health agencies and local Aboriginal communities.
The master artwork is displayed in the Institute’s office and has been digitally adapted for use across all materials that relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs, services and projects.
The overarching theme of the artwork is unity and respect; highlighting how the Institute works with other organisations and communities to better provide programs, services and support for Indigenous Australians as it works to lessen the impact of cancer across NSW.
The Aboriginal artwork is more than just a design—it is about the organisation’s values (collaboration, openness, respect, empowerment) and how it works to lessen the impact of cancer among Aboriginal communities. This artwork and its elements now form part of the Institute’s corporate identity, providing a common base for clear, consistent, unified, credible and effective communication about the Cancer Institute NSW and its work with, and for, Aboriginal communities.
Carissa Paglino
"My name is Carissa Paglino, I am 39 years old and I was born and raised in the city of Newcastle. I am a descendant of the Wanaruah nation. I have always had a great passion for art and design and for the past 15 years I have
worked as both an In-House Graphic Designer as well as a Freelance Graphic Designer and Visual Artist."
"At the beginning of the year 2015 I decided to leave my office job to focus full time on my career as a Freelance Graphic Designer and Visual Artist.
During this time I have grown both personally and professionally; having won multiple art awards, been involved in art exhibitions and also developing strong relationships with my many government, corporate and community clients that have engaged me for a wide range of art & design projects. I practice and enjoy all forms of art and styles but my forte is contemporary Aboriginal Graphic Design. I love to use traditional symbols presented in bold new ways and my use of bright, vibrant colours makes my work stand out and is something I am known for.
Art is not only my passion, it is a way of life for me. I do art because I need to; it’s part of who I am to want to create beautiful things, with my hands, every day. Art is not just something I do for a living; art is my escape, my therapy, my worship, my expression...my story."