The Work

Both works comment on cultural identity and race relations in Australia. They can be viewed independently or as a set, and can be intentionally interpreted in both positive and negative ways.

Mainstream Australia is still viewed as being predominantly fair-skinned and has struggled to successfully define its contemporary multicultural identity. This year will see another official attempt to redefine it, highlighting this ongoing process.

Aboriginal cultural identity has a significant connection with ancestors, the land and a 40,000 year-old history. Their future is uncertain, but the survival of their cultural identity relies on maintaining a connection to their past—and to Australia’s future.

Either way, how Australian Cultural Identity is shaped remains in our collective hands.

Kevin Finn

Kevin Finn is an award-winning graphic designer and was Joint Creative Director of Saatchi Design, Sydney, for seven years. In 2007 he decided to take on a new challenge, setting up Finn Creative in Kununurra, a remote town in Western Australia. Finn is also editor, designer and publisher of Open Manifesto, Australia’s first and only journal of graphic design culture, which also focuses on social, cultural, political and economic issues. Contributors include Edward de Bono, Noam Chomsky, Errol Morris, designers Stefan Sagmeister, Peter Saville and Milton Glaser, and economist David Throsby, among others. Finn Creative will relocate to Brisbane in mid January 2010.

www.finncreative.com.au