Nathan Thomas

I grew up in Halls Creek, where the landscape and my family’s stories have always been a big part of my life. My grandmother, Lorna Thomas, was an artist at Warmun, and watching her paint really inspired me. My grandfather made things out of wood and boab nuts, which got me interested in carving and sculpture.

I’ve always loved making art and have worked at art centres for most of my life. In school, I was always winning the art competitions. Later, I worked at Yarlilyil Art Centre, making canvases and painting when I had time. Now, I’m the ceramics technician and trainer at Waringarri Arts, which is a really important job to me. Being a technician and trainer at Waringarri Arts lets me share my skills with others, and that’s something I really value.

I like working with different materials – wood, paint, ceramics, anything really. A lot of my work focuses on animals, and I try to tell the story of each one. I want to keep learning and trying new things, and keep telling the stories of my home through my art.