JASON WING WINS THE 2012 PARLIAMENT OF NSW ABORIGINAL ART PRIZE

Jason Wing_Australia was Stolen by Armed Robbery_2012

Congratulations to Jason Wing, winner of the 2012 Parliament of NSW Aboriginal Art Prize valued at $40,000.

The exhibition was officially opened last night and will be on display in NSW Parliament until 4 November 2012.

It's no surprise to find a bust of Captain James Cook gracing the halls of the NSW Parliament. But Jason Wing's artwork does not treat the English explorer credited with being the first European to land on Australia's east coast with reverence.

Wing's 'Australia was Stolen by Armed Robbery' features a bust of Captain Cook wearing a black balaclava, pictured. ''Australia was stolen from the Aboriginal people by lethal force,'' he said.

Wing added the fate of indigenous people had deteriorated since the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. ''Racism and criminal behaviour by the Australian government is alive and well."

Extract from article by Andrew Taylor in the Sydney Morning Herald, October 4, 2012. 

To see Jason Wing interviewed on SBS World News click here.

Jason Wing's work can also be seen in the Artereal Gallery stockroom.