Jeremy George

I am Jeremy George. I was born 16th of April 1974. I come from the Wulgurukaba tribe on Magnetic Island, Townsville. I have been painting since 1995, I learnt to paint in prison. I had never painted in my life. Basically how I learnt to paint was being in a different situation at a different time in a different environment, and my art was something I learned to escape my environment that I was in and everything that was happening in my life at the time. I paint things that I have seen in my life, like brolga birds. I have seen brolga birds eating fish in the ponds, dancing. I put butterflies, a lot of butterflies in my paintings. I see butterflies all the time. Porcupines, carpet snakes, quinkan, I put a lot of fish too. A lot of people think my art is good but I don’t think anything of it because it is just a stress release where I let go of my anger and my stress and any problems that I have in my head. I take it out in my art and it comes out the way it does. I love painting. I enjoy painting.

When I came out of prison now and again I would try and paint, but my brain was too confused because what was happening out there, taking in and learning. I am grateful for coming down here and doing my paintings, because it has made me realise that I do have talent, regardless if I believe that or not, and a lot of people think it is going to get me somewhere in life.

Born in Townsville, I grew up most of my life in the Townsville area and Magnetic Island. I can’t say that I know a lot about my culture as the little I did learn was in a different environment. I know enough about the culture, I don’t know much about my family backgrounds because nobody has really had the patience to sit down there and explain everything to me because I am always on the go. I am just enjoying myself painting, and my freedom most importantly.