Grow Big Loggerhead Turtle by Chern’ee Sutton

My name is Chern’ee Sutton and I am a contemporary Indigenous artist from the Kalkadoon people from the Mount Isa area in Queensland.

Yaunati means to grow big in the Kalkadoon language and is a story of life unfolding, a journey through time, through water, and through connection to Country.

This painting follows the path of many, each one beginning small but full of purpose. The turtles move with the currents, surrounded by colour and spirit. Each layer of the ocean represents another chapter from the shallow waters of new beginnings to the deeper blues of learning, challenge, and wisdom.

Flowing lines and circles map the invisible ties that link them, ties to each other, to their ancestors, and to the sacred places they pass through. Growth is not just about becoming larger it’s about growing in knowledge, in strength, and in the understanding of who you are and where you belong.

Yaunati is a tribute to all journeys, slow, powerful, and deeply connected. It speaks of returning home changed, and carrying with you the story of how you got there.

73cm x  x 111cm