Pitcha Makin Fellas confront history of Aboriginal breastplates

The Indigenous art group hosted seven community members in their Ballarat studio last week to explore the history of breastplates and helping participants to create their own.

White colonial authorities used breastplates from colonial times to the 1930s to recognise those they perceived to be Aboriginal leaders.

The plates were metal crescent-shaped name plaques worn around the neck of chosen Aboriginal elders.

Pitcha Makin Fellas member Ted Laxton said the breastplates created animosity within and between Aboriginal clan groups as they did not believe in kings or chiefs.

See the gallery of photos from the workshop below.

Fellow member Peter-Shane Rotumah said the fellas found it difficult initially to follow their idea of creating breastplates.

"We had a few issues facing this ourselves," he said.

"In the end it is about telling the story about what happened to us. It is a way of taking back what didn't belong to us in the first place."

Workshop participants channeled their creativity to paint a breastplate for either themselves, their children or their pets, adopting the painting technique of stamping the Pitcha Makin Fellas use to create most of their art.

Workshop participant Tas Wansborough said it was an honour to be able to listen to the story and create a breastplate.

"Art is a real ice breaker in all communities, so this is a fantastic and fun thing to do," she said.

The Pitcha Makin Fellas first formed in 2013, after artist Peter Widmer approached members of the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative with an idea to create a book and tell stories.

Before the group began, most of the fellas had never painted or created art.

READ MORE: How racism in Ballarat inspired these artists into action

Stamping became a technique that was accessible to all members and now distinguishes their work as a style of contemporary Aboriginal art.

In the six years since the group was first formed, the Pitcha Makin Fellas have had paintings purchased by art galleries, won competitions and been a part of creating displays for White Night in Melbourne, Ballarat and a similar festival in Portugal.

Artist and assistant Peter Widmer said all of the fellas work began with conversations around the studio table, often responding to controversial or racist comments seen in the news or in their own communities.

"The more we understand about Aboriginal Australia the better," he said.

"It is a history of this country that needs to be understood - good, bad and indifferent. The way the fellas present it and the way Aboriginal people present is with an extraordinary generosity of spirit, even though they have been treated appallingly. The breast plates is an example of that.

"Some might find the breastplates workshop confronting, as it should be. Parts of our history are horrific. There are things that have been denied for a long time and we need to accept it to develop as a country."

Mr Widmer said the Pitcha Makin Fellas often confront sensitive issues with humour.

"Humour is a really effective way to get through to people. You can be laughing on the outside and tearing up on the inside," he said.

"I think people going away from this workshop would be under no illusion that what they are taking away is a memory of something that is pretty horrible. But it is also breaking that down and reclaiming the story. If you claim it then it loses it's sting.

"In this way we can make sure this sort of badging of people never happens again."

The Pitcha Makin Fellas workshop was hosted as part of the Made of Ballarat events series, a diverse range of experiences with Ballarat creators promoted through Visit Ballarat's new tourism campaign.

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