Painted calls to ‘Cause no harm’ in domestic violence report
An artwork commissioned to accompany an important inquiry into domestic, family and sexual violence in South Australia conveys the artist’s powerful legacy.
When Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja AO revealed the over 700-page body of work to address violence, she said it is a “whole of government” and “whole of community” responsibility.
This idea is at the core of an artwork featured in the accompanying Voices report, which features stories from over 5000 people who spoke up during the commission.
Respected artist and Ngarrindjeri woman Rachel Abdulla painted Cause no harm for the Royal Commission, and it opens the report.
The artwork tells a story of family, connection to land, and First Nations lore, representing that tackling violence is a team effort.
It does so by illustrating characters that play a role in the solution: Layla, “a woman whose story was buried beneath red dust and harsh silence”, Kai who calls to others to “reframe masculinity, to be protectors and healers, not carriers of harm” and mother and son Mira and Jarran who teach us that “healing must be measured in restored laughter, not reports alone”.
Dancing across the sky in paint, weaving colours into clouds, is a representation of Tala, a non-binary youth, signifying LGBTQIA+ communities “whose truths were too often erased in legislation and stigma”.
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The work also features a grandfather tree in a sacred clearing, “where sunset rests upon the shoulders of the earth and the winds remember every footstep”.
“The Grandfather Tree speaks of the ‘journey of healing’ and reminds us: Healing is sacred,” the report reads.
“It begins with truth.
“It survives through unity.
“It thrives in stories.
“And it rises – sunset after sunset – with the power of the people.”
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The work includes representations of desert, sea, land and sky and the voices of survivors, protectors and educators.
Despoja said Rachel died unexpectedly about a month before the recommendations were handed down and is remembered for her art and her work in the domestic, sexual and family violence sector.
Her daughters, Casey and Amber, attended the government’s announcement on Tuesday and said they thought their mum would be proud of her contribution.
Despoja said “from the outset of this Royal Commission, we wanted to walk in partnership with Aboriginal people and communities”.
“It means that any recommendations in this report that affect the delivery services for Aboriginal people and communities have been designed by them, ensuring that they are relevant, appropriate and effective,” Despoja says.
They did this by establishing an Aboriginal partnership committee, co-chaired by Despoja and South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network lead convener Scott Wilson.
The Voices report accompanied a 700-page report featuring 136 recommendations for the government to address systemic failures.
You can read the full report and more about the artwork on the Royal Commission website. Note that the content contains direct quotes from people with lived experiences and those who support them, so some content may be distressing or triggering.
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