Laura Thompson (Gunditjmara) from Spark Health has produced this lovely piece of art for Diabetes Victoria's Road to Good Health - Life! program. This artwork tells a story of Aboriginal Communities free from chronic disease. Keep an eye out for this artwork on the Diabetes Victoria promotional material. If you require any artwork for health promotion resources or assistance creating eye catching meaningful art please contact us at Spark Health hello@sparkhealth.com.au
The story behind the art...
This artwork represents healthy thriving Aboriginal Communities that are free from the burden of chronic disease. The images shows families sitting around the campfire and the relationship between families in Communities. Healthy homes and families are the foundation of healthy Communities.
The water in the artwork represents how fundamentally important water is for our bodies, to maintain good health and how water is an intricate part of the landscape that holds vast social, cultural and economic importance for Aboriginal people.
The animal tracks and on the land represents our connection to our Country and our mob, which are essential pillars of Aboriginal identity.
The images of the boomerangs, remind us of the traditional tucker you get directly from the land from hunting and gathering. Tucker that is natural, bursting with nutrients, and free from all the artificial flavours and sugars. In the supermarket, when thinking about healthy choices we should reflect on our ancestors diet and have less packaged food in our trolley.
The honey ants and berries are other traditional foods emphasising the importance of a good diet and physical activity in reducing the onset of chronic disease. The collection and preparation of traditional bush tucker was labour and energy intensive and this physical activity and exercise can have immediate and long-term health benefits. Most importantly, regular activity can improve your quality of life.
