By Alesha Capone
Wealth can mean different things to different people – just ask Wyndham Vale artist wāni Le Frère.
Works by Le Frère are on display at the Wyndham Art Gallery as part of the exhibition, Stolen/Wealth.
The exhibition explores the impact the stolen generation has had on indigenous families and the impact loss of land and resources, government policies and colonisation has on people and social cohesion around the world.
Le Frère – who was born in Congo and has lived in many countries since he was a child – has contributed photographs and colourful bags. He said the bags were similar to the ones used by Ghanians who were forced out of Nigeria in a mass exodus in the early ’80s.
Le Frère said these became known as “Ghana Must Go” bags, but he had instead dubbed them “Congo Must Come” bags.
“To me, Congo represents the future, justice and possibility,” he said.
Le Frère said it was important for him to portray wealth as he, and others, understood it. He said colonialism often involved natural resources being plundered.
“It doesn’t look like wealth for us, but for other people,” he said.
Details: wyndham.vic.gov.au/whats-on/stolenwealth-exhibition
