Kamsani BIN SALLEH, Canopies, 2022. Digital artwork reproduction on glass, dimensions variable. Commissioned for Boola Katitjin 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Kamsani BIN SALLEH (Kambarni)
Born 1993 Boddington, Western Australia
Lives and works Perth, Western Australia
Kamsani Bin Salleh (Kambarni) is descended from the Ballardong Noongar people and Nimunburr and Yawuru people of the Kimberley region in Western Australia. His art reflects the natural world and he graphically interprets designs from both pre-colonial and post-colonial Australian histories. Kambarni often uses hidden iconography depicting local knowledge to encourage the observer to look deeper into his works.
For this commission, Kambarni created a series of four designs which have been reproduced onto glass in the lift cars in Boola Katitjin. These works are titled Canopies, and each design is rendered in a unique palette and depicts different flora and fauna from the Beeliar Wetlands and Banksia Woodlands surrounding the Murdoch University campus.
Kambarni’s designs remind us of the Indigenous heritage of this place, which has been occupied and cared for by Noongar people for thousands of years. His works also encourage deeper inspection and appreciation of the beauty of the natural world which surrounds us. Each of the four designs is unique, thus distinguishing the lift cars from one another and serving as a useful wayfinding device through the building.