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The Noosa Tennis Club mural by Jandamarra featuring tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley.
I 25 February 2025
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Jandamarra Cadd: painting stories of strength and healing BY SARAH JANE SCOTT JANDAMARRA Cadd’s art is a powerful blend of storytelling, culture and healing. Through his vibrant, expressive paintings, he brings to life the deep spiritual and emotional connection of First Nations people, making an impact that reaches far beyond the artwork. He is a proud Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung descendant, inspirational speaker and acclaimed artist. The local artist has recently completed two stunning murals: a First Nations mural at Noosa Christian College’s primary campus, and another at the Noosa Tennis
Club featuring tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley. Jandamarra has been a finalist in every major portrait art prize in Australia, including the Archibald Prize; his winning portrait of Uncle Archie Roach is displayed in the NSW Art Gallery. In 2018, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in the creative industries for his significant contributions to community and culture. Jandamarra is the first and only Aboriginal artist in more than 100 years to be commissioned to create a painting for Parliament House, depicting Nova Peris, the first Aboriginal woman and senator in Parliament.
While he appreciates such accolades, he feels far more honour and worth when working within communities. “My real achievement is going into communities … whether it's just up here at Gympie … or going out into the Central Desert … or going to Western Australia, and being welcomed into communities,” he explained. “Being able to achieve a level of artistry that people see the value in so much, they wish to celebrate it – they wish to encompass it and invite you into their family, into their communities with an open heart. That for me, means a lot more.” Born in Melbourne, Jandamarra
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found solace in art from a young age. “Painting was always a refuge for me. It was a way to process emotions and connect with something bigger than myself,” he said. “I ran away from home at the age of 13, and until the age of 17, I was living on the streets and I was locked in juvenile institutions for stealing and multiple offences for stealing food and money and to live. I had a lot of anger and a lot of frustration when I was younger. “I was introduced to a paint brush while serving time at the age of 16 in a juvenile facility, and it came with a beautiful, divine timing. If not, I probably would have kept
heading on that trajectory, I wasn't given the tools how to deal with the underlying emotions at that time. So a paint brush helped me to connect to a deeper part of me, and then a byproduct of that was more peace in my world, more resolution of the frustrations that were deeply impacting upon me at that time. Like a seed … that grew into a bush, then a shrub, and then a tree. And now it's a forest that sustains me.” His signature style, often featuring intricate dot work and striking portraiture, bridges contemporary and traditional techniques. Continued page 3
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