"Midden Shells along the Swan River" by Shane YONDEE Hansen

"Midden Shells along the Swan River" by Shane YONDEE HansenSize: 134 x 79cm Acrylic on Canvas Free Worldwide Shipping Commission work Available Yondee (Shane Hansen) is a Noongar man from Western Australia, born in 1964 in Dumbleyung, which is located 270 km south of Perth. The name Dumbleyung comes from the Aboriginal word 'Dambeling,' meaning "large lake," referring to the nearby lake that is the largest in southwest Western Australia. Yondee fondly remembers this lake from his childhood and the stories

Size: 134 x 79cm

Acrylic on Canvas

Free Worldwide Shipping 

Commission work Available

Yondee (Shane Hansen) is a Noongar man from Western Australia, born in 1964 in Dumbleyung, which is located 270 km south of Perth. The name Dumbleyung comes from the Aboriginal word 'Dambeling,' meaning "large lake," referring to the nearby lake that is the largest in southwest Western Australia. Yondee fondly remembers this lake from his childhood and the stories told to him about the Wagal (the rainbow snake).

As a child, he learned about hunting from his father and was introduced to sand drawings. Around the age of ten, he would visit his aunties along the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) and help collect paperbark for their artwork. It was during these visits that he began learning about art from his older relatives, who were known for their paintings on paperbark.

Yondee is an experienced and accomplished artist who has developed a unique way of working with sand and ochres to depict the stories and legends of his people. He also creates detailed figurative works inspired by mission life, hunting, and animals. While his pieces are abstract in presentation, they are rich in narrative content. He is committed to continuing the stories passed down from his grandfather.

Having learned these stories and images through ground paintings, Yondee believes that transforming them into sand paintings honors their significance and introduces them to new audiences.

In discussing his art practice today, Yondee states, “I make sand paintings by collecting sand from the creeks. You have to wash it to remove the salt, but the sand from the creeks is different; it's smoother and ideal for use. When I create sand paintings using black and white or bold colours, it delivers a simple yet powerful message.”

About the artwork

Midden Shells served as a dietary mainstay for both freshwater and saltwater tribes. Coastal shell middens contain the remains of shellfish eaten by Aboriginal people. They can consist of the shells from a single meal or many different meals eaten in the same location over many years.

They can also contain the remains of a more varied diet including fish, seal and kangaroo. Charcoal and hearth stones from fires, as well as other cultural items such as stone and bone artefacts, can also be present.