Cathy Snow
Maljah

Born: 1954
Origin: Normanton
Clan: Gkathaarn

Biography

I was born in 1954, in Normanton in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in Far North Queensland.  I am a descendant of Gkuthaarn and I come from a family of thirteen.  I spent my early childhood on Magowra Station.  This is my mother's country.  She was born on Magowra and worked for most of her life there, as did her ancestors before her.  I took my bush name, Maljah, which is my grandmother's dreaming.  It means lightning.  Since taking my bush name I found out that my grandfather's bush name meant floodwaters.  This is probably why I started painting everything that represents water and what comes from it.

My mother possessed valuable and extensive knowledge about the land and her cultural background. She spent most of her life around her elders to learn all this.  She listened to their stories about walking all over the Gulf lands including Burketown and Karumba.  It was on these journeys that she learnt her language, her culture, her history and passed on these stories to me.  Through her stories of the land and the daily hardships, I learnt my history and culture.

Today I have four books of sketches and drawings which depict my mother's stories.  These books will continue to inform the art I create.  The art that has become a passion to me.  My art allows me to express my culture, my love of and connection with the land.  The use of my trademark colours, red and black, express my appreciation for the land, the sea and my youth.  During my youth I would hunt and gather saltwater mussels, camp out bush and do all things positive in life with those close to me.

The images that are common themes in my paintings are saltwater mussels, freshwater mussels and water marks.  More recently I have used contemporary versions of traditional story and song.  These are a direct result of my history and my mother's history.  Painting gives me the opportunity to share my mother's story and my older siblings' stories with people from all walks of life.  Most importantly I share stories with my family, my three children and six grandchildren.

My art was a long time hidden due to my lack of confidence and questions about where to start. I gathered my courage when an art workshop was held in 2006 by artist and good friend Margaret Henry.  Margaret was originally from Normanton.  She invited aspiring artists of the area to try painting.  Since that time I haven't stopped.  I thank Margaret and Bonnie Elford, who assisted in readying my work for my first exhibition and giving me the confidence I needed.

Everyday I get excited to see what transpires on my canvas.  I hope my story inspires other artists to follow their dreams and to share what is inside them with the world.