Artist:

Jason Wing

When I attended high school I was taught that Australia was discovered by Captain James Cook. This colonial lie is further reinforced by a huge bronze sculpture in Hyde Park, Sydney, which is situated on a massacre site. Etched in stone are the words ‘Captain James Cook Discovered Australia 1770’. I feel physically ill every time I see this monument so I decided to create my own monument to Captain Cook, who personifies colonisation, in Captain James Crook. There are many politically correct terms such as colonised, peacefully settled, occupied, discovered etc. The truth is that Australia was stolen by armed robbery. History is often written and erased by the victors, so I decided to challenge the colonial history of Australia from an Aboriginal perspective and simply tell the truth.

As a result of my subversive Captain Cook bust I received many personal attacks on social media via cyber bullying. The comments included personal attacks on my physical appearance and Aboriginality, their disgust at my disrespectful and inaccurate version of Australia’s history and my alleged defamation of Captain Cook’s great name. These comments prove that colonial propaganda and racism is alive and well and House Wigger is a snapshot of society’s progression or lack of progression.

The common thread throughout my works is the everyday battle that Aboriginal people fight living in this colonial institutional framework. We fight for re-writing Aboriginal history that has been erased, destroyed, hidden and lost. We fight for equal human rights. We fight for our culture to be respected, valued and celebrated in a genuine way. We fight for equal rights socially, culturally, politically and economically. We have serpent blood in our veins and we will never stop fighting for our culture.

Photo: Daniel Boud

 

Jason Wing (Biripi people)
Captain James Crook 2013
Purchased 2013 in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum

Jason Wing (Biripi people)
[Print #2] House Wigger 2014
Purchased 2017 in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum

Search for works by this artist in the national collection.

Jason Wing (Biripi people)