Dibirdibi Country 2007

Sally Gabori's "Dibirdibi Country" is an artwork that uses swathes of vivid colour. The colours and forms are representational of the landscape in which the artist lived. Consider the striking use of colour; each block acts as a symbol, a mnemonic trigger for shared cultural memory and lived experience. Red and orange are often seen as representations of the land, while white can represent clouds or sand, and blue, the sea. Similarly, the use of black could be linked to mourning. Think of the Greek tradition of wearing black to represent mourning and grief, or the appearance of a similar dark, void-like mass in Edvard Munch's "The Scream", an emblem of anxiety. These colours are not merely decorative; they are infused with psychological weight, connecting us to the emotional landscape of the artist and her community. As we contemplate these colours, let us remember how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across different cultural and historical landscapes.