'Attack of the 50ft Colonists' (2026) - 152.5 × 91 × 3.2 CM

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Attack of the 50ft Colonists was inspired by my travels in Japan, as well as the visual language of Godzilla, Mothra and the broader tradition of Japanese monster films and comic books. I wanted to use that imagery as a satirical way of thinking about colonisation.

Aboriginal people have often used aliens as a metaphor for colonisation, and I wanted to play with that idea through the imagery of an invading monster. The church becomes another symbol of colonisation, while the missiles reference war, damage and destruction.

The red is important to the work because it symbolises the intensity of the subject matter. It is also the only work in the series that uses colour so extensively, which gives the imagery an added intensity.

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Aretha Brown
Gumbaynggirr Peoples