I can't fight a war but I can fight prejudice and racism through art

I am first generation Australian, I have war stories on both my mother and fathers side.

I have been told my history can be traced back hundreds of years and on my mothers side migration occurred because of religious persecution. On my fathers side they came to Australia as immigrants staying in the detention centers of the 1950s. I am Caucasian and super pale making me have white privilege. I however can use this privilege to fight racism.


One time a woman on a train was muttering under her breath that these people should get out of the country. The train carriage had a large group of migrant on an outing for an English class. In short I said to her that we don't like your attitude and that she should get out of the country. I felt the need to stand up for the majority on the carriage because I knew my white privilege would mean she would have no racial slurs to throw back at me and I could publicly shame her for her uneducated views. I as a "white" Australian could tell her this is not tolerated by "white" Australians.

With art I can use it for discussion and a tool. The current war zones and genocides in the Middle East, and the terrorist attacks in the western world are all due to extreme beliefs. Racism is an example extreme belief in racial superiority. If the child victims of war are translatable to western and white privilege ideologies then I too can represent a reason why we have refugees in our lucky country Australia and why they can't simply "go back to where they came from." They are a part of the fabric of Australia.

Please note I can't speak on behalf of the traditional custodians of the land.

If dying children and deceased children can act as a reminder to treat each human with compassion, courtesy, respect and decency; then perhaps I can put an end to some of the racism and racial prejudice. This is not the 'soul' reason I am making the series but an insight to why I feel deeply connected to this topic.

Dead toddler, bomb victim. 2017, watercolour, canvas, 23kt gold, shellac