To create something, no matter the form, is often considered by artists as a way to express their innermost truths with their audience. Young, emerging Malyangapa & Barkindji artist Jasmine Craciun can always be found working on a creative project. Whether she is painting murals, sculpting or hand stitching family portraits out of mohair – Jasmine’s work is first and foremost inspired by her ancestry and cultural identity, and it is these themes that are reflected and explored throughout her pieces.
Her story is one that is unfiltered and raw, that leaves her and her family exposed – a daunting consideration that only emphasises the power this young woman possesses. Some of us wish to hide away our truths, or store them somewhere for only our eyes to see. This isn’t your typical Burn After Reading story, but instead burning the feelings of holding your story back.
Her creations, while all vastly different, are all deeply sentimental. Being linked to her family’s experiences and memories, the pieces evoke a real emotional connection.
Jasmine took the time to share with me how her art, and her creative process, can be an extension of her own truth, whilst also allowing her to weave in the stories that resonate with the greater Aboriginal community.
How have your lived experiences inspired your art?
“My lived experiences are at the core of everything I make. A lot of that comes back to my relationships with my grandparents, especially my Nan.“
A creative at her core throughout her youth, her identity as an artist flourished after school, allowing her to connect herself further with her Barkindji, Malyangapa, Romanian and Austrian ancestry and cultures.
Jasmine’s Oma and Opa. Hand knit intarsia using mohair, wire and reclaimed timber from her childhood home fence
What does it mean to you to be able to incorporate your cultural identity into your art?
“My Nan’s stories mean a lot to me, but they also reflect the experiences of so many Aboriginal people. Sharing them helps me connect myself and my family to the broader Aboriginal community, while also archiving these memories through making.“
After looking at her pieces, you get a real sense of energy pulsing through them, the lives and stories that have inspired the art can be felt buzzing within them. I was curious to learn if she had always created with such an emboldened spirit, or if sharing these with the world can cause hesitancy in disclosing oneself.
Are you ever nervous to share parts of your life stories with the world? When has this been a struggle for you?
“I definitely get nervous sharing such personal stories – it leaves me exposed to the harsher side of Australian society. But creating gives me strength. Holding these memories through making feels powerful, and that act of labour becomes an act of love and care that quiets the nerves.“
Do you feel that sharing raw moments during the creation and progress of a piece is important for your overall process?
“Honestly, I work pretty privately! I like being tucked away in a studio with four walls until the work feels ready to be seen. Maybe it’s my Virgo perfectionism, but I don’t like showing the raw process too early. Because the work is so personal, keeping it private feels like I’m protecting the story until it’s ready to be told.“
As I scroll through her instagram @jasmine_craciun, I am able to catch glimpses of the progress of some of her works without revealing too much. In between pictures of her beautiful pieces are tender family photographs and childhood memories. I witness the careful balance she has created between sharing and preserving – all whilst remaining authentic to herself as an artist.
What’s one of your pieces that showcases your truth as an artist?
“The work I’m proudest of would have to be my first exhibition at First Draft last year, “A Shrine for All You Gave Me”. It told the story of my Nan’s youth in Wilcannia, retracing the homes my Nan, Mum and Aunties lived in, alongside stained glass recreations of Nan’s photo collection. It brought so much of my identity together and marked a real turning point in my practice and where I wanted to take it.“
The aforementioned piece “A Shrine For All You Gave Me”, truly encapsulates this idea of story telling. A collaboration of artistic prowess and raw emotions expressed through the recreation of memories. The use of mixed mediums like stained glass and video projections of footage of her nan, invite the audience to relive the journey and stories of an inspiring, impactful woman.
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