Summary

Framed Painting 'Redheaded Bitch (Xenophobia)' by Harry J. Wedge, circa 1996. Harry is a Wirudjeri artist who has developed a direct and often shocking personal style. His works can be roughly characterised as naive; they communicate directly with the viewer through compelling heightened imagery. The viewer is called to read the paintings for their powerfully felt messages.

Harry was born in 1958 on Erambie Mission, Cowra, in New South Wales. His Wiradjeri heritage is proudly acknowledged in many of his paintings. The experience of the colonisation of the Wiradjuri was different to other experiences of colonisation in Australia and is expressed in its own aesthetic techniques. Wedge's work is distinct from other contemporary Indigenous artists' due to his graphic use of color and subject matter, dealing with the social and political issues more relevant to Aboriginal people living in an urban context as opposed to the traditional cultural information which defines many other styles of Indigenous art. Harry Wedge died in 2012.

Physical Description

Framed painting of a group of people in a boat, named XENOPHOBIA, on the sea. Set against a black background the boat and people are outlined in white, while the waves are formed from dark green lines, a vivid red line cuts across the to half of the painting.

More Information