Naabami (thou will/shall see): Barangaroo (army of me) by Brenda L. Croft

A major outdoor public artwork by leading First Nations multidisciplinary artist Brenda L. Croft (Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra) is on display along the Barangaroo waterfront until 29 January as part of the Sydney Festival 2023. The installation, Naabami (thou shall/will see): Barangaroo (army of me) presents 60 large-scale photographic portraits of contemporary First Nations women and girls. 

The portraits were captured in Canberra and Sydney from 2019 to 2022, some of the participants include those photographed by Croft spanning three decades, with others first-time subjects. Several generations of families are portrayed; some participants were first photographed as children, now represented as steadfast young women; sisters, aunties, mothers, grandmothers.

Naabami (thou will/shall see): Barangaroo (army of me) honours Barangaroo (c. 1750 - 1791), an intriguing, steadfast First Nations (Cammeraygal) woman, renowned not only for her mastery of fishing, but also acknowledged for her determination as to how she would live and die on her sovereign homelands. 

The large-scale portraits digitally printed on metal reference the wet plate collodion process in the original tin-types and are installed in sandstone blocks - cast-off from colonial buildings, originally hewn from traditional lands.

Brenda L. Croft said: “I pay my deep respects and acknowledgements to Ngambri | Ngunawal | Ngunnawal Traditional Owners on whose unceded sovereign lands I live and work in Canberra, and to all First Nations Traditional Custodians on whose unceded sovereign lands I am privileged to live, work & travel through, in Australia and overseas. First Nations ancestor women such as Barangaroo and those who followed have inspired, guided and mentored me throughout my life. I stand on the shoulders of giants. Marntaj.”