Shane Pickett at Collie Art Gallery: Discovering Wanyarang

Discovering Wanyarang ,Collie Art Gallery Western Australia till 11th January

Wanyarang: Calling for the Rain within the Noongar six seasons calendar

There's something poetic about how things align in threes, and this story is no exception.

First, arriving at the Collie Art Gallery brings back memories of its remarkable inception. Jan Wallace, the driving force behind securing funding and establishing this cultural cornerstone, became the gallery's first female life member—a testament to her vision and dedication to our community. We shared more about Jan in our Collie Mural Trail Tours – Street Art Gallery

Second, the arrival of Birak (or Biroc)—the Noongar summer season that graces us each December, marking the shift in our landscape as the days grow longer and the earth awakens with warmth.

Third, the opening of Shane Pickett's exhibition at the Collie Art Gallery—a perfect convergence of timing, place, and artistic celebration.

Shane Pickett's born Quairading Ballarlong Land -Look at the Land I have Travelled

I seized the opportunity to visit the Collie Art Gallery exhibition on Friday afternoon, and I'm grateful I did. Shane Pickett's work offers something profound: an expression of Noongar seasons through storylines that resonate with anyone who truly observes the land.

For those unfamiliar, Noongar Country encompasses the southwest corner of Western Australia, stretching from the Geraldton region across to Esperance in the far southeast coast. While the six Noongar seasons have been increasingly recognized and celebrated in recent years, Shane Pickett's work reveals something deeper—the layers within these seasons are far more meaning and diverse than we might imagine.

Wanyarang: Calling for the Rain

One piece that particularly struck me depicts Wanyarang —the season of storms and spiritual awakening. The artwork captures this powerful period with abstract beauty that feels both ancient and immediate. There's a calling for rain, a sense of the land in transformation. It's like the umbrella of life; a story time long ago once told to the young in a changing patterned landscape.

This exhibition offers a meaningful chance to reconnect with place through Noongar knowledge and an artist who saw beyond the six seasons. If you’re in Collie this Birak/Biroc season, it’s well worth stepping inside

For anyone who watches the forest closely—the shifts in light, sound and movement—his paintings speak a familiar language. They echo the many changes we notice daily in the Jarrah Country.

The Shane Pickett exhibition is currently showing at the Collie Art Gallery till 11^th January.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with Australia's Southwest Country through the vision of a master storyteller.