We acknowledge and pay respects to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people as the traditional custodians of the lands
on which we work.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware
that this website may contain names of people who have
passed away.
Grant
This website is supported by an unrestricted grant, with no
content or design input, from Gilead Sciences.
The audio recordings of the Yarns on the website were supported by an unrestricted grant, with no content or design input, from ViiV Healthcare.
Cover Art
Title: Dialogue
Artist: Arone Raymond Meeks
This work represents
communication between people
on a verbal level and how
they feel and respond to each
other. The figures are linked by their hands and
crosshatching. Crosshatching is a symbol for fertility and
the earth. The background depicts elements of the tropics,
such as the reef, rainforest, and coral spawning. The
kidney shapes within the figures represent the emptiness
we may feel when responding to confronting situations.
Artist Acknowledgment
Arone Meeks was a Kuku Midigi man and an accomplished artist and leading advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Islanders with HIV.
Arone Meeks provided a unique contribution to the HIV sector and pioneered a new way of storytelling. Through art, he shared his story and that of his community by interconnecting Aboriginal culture, HIV and health promotion.
His art was ground-breaking, giving a voice to those previously voiceless. Arone Meeks’ lasting legacy is a collection of artwork which will continue to have a profound impact on the way we understand the history of the HIV response in Australia.
Back Cover Art
Title: Floral Nam Dari
Artist: Toby Cedar
This art piece has the colours
of the Torres Strait Islander
flag throughout it – with
green representing land, black
representing our people, blue representing
the sea, and white representing our Dari (Headdress). The
coconut leaves, hibiscus and frangipani signify the tropical
lifestyle as they are seen throughout the Torres Strait. The
Turtle plays a special part in the island lifestyle as both
a food source and many families' totem. Inlayed in the
turtles’ shells are the Dari which is the main symbol on our
flag to represent all our Torres Strait Islands.
