PAUL BONG | 'My Flag' | 2026 | Hand coloured intaglio etching | H 1120 x W 800 mm

My Flag Traditionally, a shield was made to protect life, culture, and Country. In My Flag, that protection has been shattered. It speaks to the irreversible impact of colonisation on the Yidinji people and the destruction of cultural practices, language, and traditional ways of life. The surface of the shield bears ancient markings inspired by cave art, representing the culture, knowledge, and stories carried by generations of Yidinji people. These images embody a living culture that existed long before European settlement. The bullet holes, arranged as the stars of the Southern Cross found on the Australian flag, are symbols of the violence that fractured both the shield and the culture it protected. They represent the moment when a weapon pierced not only the shield but also the cultural fabric of a people. The broken shield becomes a metaphor for a culture that was violently disrupted. My Flag is not only about loss. By transforming the broken shield into a flag, the artist reclaims it as a symbol of survival, identity, and resilience. Although the shield can never be repaired, the Yidinji people remain. Their stories, connection to Country, and cultural spirit endure. "The shield is broken; its edges too sharp to put back together. The cave art on the shield represents our culture. Then came the bullet that broke the shield, breaking a culture. Today that broken shield has become my flag, representing the survival and identity of the Yidinji people." Paul Bong Bindur-Bullin

PAUL BONG | 'My Flag' | 2026 | Hand coloured intaglio etching | H 1120 x W 800 mm