Naomi Hobson Golden wattle among eucalyptus

‘There is a place on my Country that we call “the golden way”,’ says first-time Wynne finalist Naomi Hobson. ‘There are all these golden wattle trees that line the road down to the beach. When the trees are flowering, my people head to the beach. It is an invitation to the sea.’

Hobson has painted Coen, a small township in the eastern Cape York region. In her work, she has captured an important occasion for community when the wattle blooms. ‘I love this time; everything is intimate and in full colour. The Country is buzzing,’ says the artist. For Hobson, this work is an ode to and a celebration of nature.

Hobson is a passionate storyteller whose artistic career spans painting, ceramics and photography, with a particular focus on projects that include and celebrate her community and culture. She says, ‘My brushstrokes are guided by my Ancestors … I want to share the bright light of the Cape, which is embedded in the colours of Country and our traditional stories.’