Arts & Cultural Exchange - ACE - Dharug Voices

Dharug Voices: Celebrating Culture, Legacy, and Connection

In this episode, journey alongside Chloe as she reveals the heart of her creative practice where every artwork carries stories and the echoes of Country and family. Chloe Webb, a Boorooberongal woman living on Darkinjung Country carries the deep flow of Dharug Nura within her wherever she goes. Though living away from her homelands, Chloe says she “never feels too far away”, Country is always with her within the ocean that connects to the sacred Dyarubbin river. Through her art, she reconnects with culture and family, transforming grief and memory into something healing and powerful.

Her work speaks of black cockatoos, ocean whispers, and the resilience of landscapes that refuse to be silenced. It journeys through the Katoomba gully where her grandfather grew up on a mission, land scarred by forced removal and commercial devastation. Today, a single red waratah blooms where her poppy rests, a sign of strength, beauty, and survival.

Watch the latest Dharug Voices installment below!

Artists: Chloe Webb (@gumada.art)

Videography: @Thanadon_films

Producers Akala Newman & Tannika Keaton

This work was made possible through a Creative Australia Grant

About Chloe

Chloe’s creative process begins in stillness: “I don’t create to tell a story; I create through listening.” From that quiet space, images emerge across canvas, digital mediums, and words. Each artwork carries a poem, raw and resonant:

“A stop sign in the path of our ways, a speed bump in our identity.”
“The gully will always have its way and the waratah sings that.”

This is not just art. It’s a dialogue with Country, a reclamation of belonging, and a reminder that what feels lost is already within us.

Follow Chloe on Instagram

Community-Centred Approach

An integral aspect of Dharug Voices is its commitment to working with the community. These collaborations help to:

Preserve: Ensuring that the stories and artworks we share are genuine reflections of Dharug culture.

Empower Artists: Providing artists with the opportunity to reconnect with their heritage, enriching their creative expression.

Cultural Exchange: Creating spaces where knowledge can be shared, and cultural understanding can be deepened both within and beyond the Dharug community.

Sustain Traditions: By engaging with community elders and knowledge holders, we help sustain and pass on important cultural traditions to future generations.

About Dharug Voices

Dharug Voices is a groundbreaking project dedicated to digitally sharing Dharug stories from the mountains to the sea. By commissioning and supporting the development of new works by First Nations Dharug artists, we aim to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural narratives.

At the core of Dharug Voices is the profound belief that reconnecting with Country is essential for the vitality of First Nations art. This reconnection is not merely a journey across landscapes but a nourishing moment for all involved that invigorates artistic expression through truth-telling. We believe that the journey is often more profound than the destination.

About Chloe

Chloe’s creative process begins in stillness: “I don’t create to tell a story; I create through listening.” From that quiet space, images emerge across canvas, digital mediums, and words. Each artwork carries a poem, raw and resonant:

“A stop sign in the path of our ways, a speed bump in our identity.”
“The gully will always have its way and the waratah sings that.”

This is not just art. It’s a dialogue with Country, a reclamation of belonging, and a reminder that what feels lost is already within us.

Follow Chloe on Instagram

Community-Centred Approach

An integral aspect of Dharug Voices is its commitment to working with the community. These collaborations help to:

Preserve: Ensuring that the stories and artworks we share are genuine reflections of Dharug culture.

Empower Artists: Providing artists with the opportunity to reconnect with their heritage, enriching their creative expression.

Cultural Exchange: Creating spaces where knowledge can be shared, and cultural understanding can be deepened both within and beyond the Dharug community.

Sustain Traditions: By engaging with community elders and knowledge holders, we help sustain and pass on important cultural traditions to future generations.

About Dharug Voices

Dharug Voices is a groundbreaking project dedicated to digitally sharing Dharug stories from the mountains to the sea. By commissioning and supporting the development of new works by First Nations Dharug artists, we aim to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural narratives.

Support

Find out how you can support our community and the projects & events that we are working on

Subscribe

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About Chloe

Chloe’s creative process begins in stillness: “I don’t create to tell a story; I create through listening.” From that quiet space, images emerge across canvas, digital mediums, and words. Each artwork carries a poem, raw and resonant:

“A stop sign in the path of our ways, a speed bump in our identity.” “The gully will always have its way and the waratah sings that.”

This is not just art. It’s a dialogue with Country, a reclamation of belonging, and a reminder that what feels lost is already within us.

Follow Chloe on Instagram

Community-Centred Approach

An integral aspect of Dharug Voices is its commitment to working with the community. These collaborations help to:

Preserve: Ensuring that the stories and artworks we share are genuine reflections of Dharug culture.

Empower Artists: Providing artists with the opportunity to reconnect with their heritage, enriching their creative expression.

Cultural Exchange: Creating spaces where knowledge can be shared, and cultural understanding can be deepened both within and beyond the Dharug community.

Sustain Traditions: By engaging with community elders and knowledge holders, we help sustain and pass on important cultural traditions to future generations.

About Dharug Voices

Dharug Voices is a groundbreaking project dedicated to digitally sharing Dharug stories from the mountains to the sea. By commissioning and supporting the development of new works by First Nations Dharug artists, we aim to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural narratives.

Support

Find out how you can support our community and the projects & events that we are working on

Subscribe

Stay up-to-date with all the latest from ACE.

Subscribe to our newsletter

“A stop sign in the path of our ways, a speed bump in our identity.”
“The gully will always have its way and the waratah sings that.”