Deepest Sympathies
With a deep and heavy sadness, Western Riverina Arts announces the passing of Wiradjuri Artist of National Significance, Veršnica Collins.
We send our deep sympathies, love, support and condolences to her family, friends, loved ones, and her homeland communities of Griffith, Albury and Cowra.
Veršnica Collins, Wiradjuri, passed away this morning in Griffith. She was a powerful presence and a thunderous force of life who imparted great love to those around her every day. She will be hugely missed. Veršnica leaves a vital and lifelong national legacy across all aspects of her life; she was history in the making as an artist expressing her Wiradjuri heart and deep pride in her community and culture. She was a pre-67 Elder, a wife, a mother, grandmother, aunty, and lifelong political activist demanding justice and redress. She walked the streets of her much-loved community as well as those corridors of her representative politicians, always asserting her sovereign rights unceded. She supported everyone around her with a daily love, wisdom, philosophy, deep felt experience and a genuine sacrifice to have others supported and nurtured, especially being present among young artists for them to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
Most of all she was uncompromising in her creativity and her Wiradjuri Culture. A true master artist whose works are so deep, so touching, so pure and so skilful that to behold a painting is to feel the underskin and mystery of this vast and beautiful country.
āThe work Veršnica considers to have the greatest significance is publicly viewable. Her goanna design resides on the Welcome To Griffith signs at each of the five main entrances to the city, thus leaving her permanent mark on Griffith. She loves that her goanna watches over and welcomes all new visitors into her hometown.ā ā Western Riverina Arts May Artist of the Month 2020.
Ngaagirridhunyal guwayu
You will be forever missed beautiful woman.
Image: Detail of āDusky Dawnā 2022.
This public announcement has been made at the request of her family.
