IMAGE: Section of The Australia/Philippines Friendship Mural with images of the Australian wedge-tailed eagle and the Philippines national eagle.
The powerful Wiradjuri word Yindyamarra, meaning deep respect, was chosen as title of a 30m wide x 4m high mural in the Philippines.
The Australian Embassy in the Philippines commissioned the Baguio City (Phil)-Australia Friendship Mural to celebrate the strong ties between the two countries and to highlight the culture of First Nations peoples. At the official opening of the mural was the original Ub Ubbo Exchange song Echoes, which was produced by Parkes man Jason Murchie.
Sean James Cassidy, Director of Ub Ubbo Exchange Australian Chapter, helped develop the connections for this project. In a letter to Cassidy, the Australian Ambassador HK Yu in the Philippines wrote, “I am pleased to have learnt about your continuing work with Lope Bosaing on Ub Ubbo Exchange. The Ambassador also extended her respect and special thanks to Wiradjuri Elders Robert Clegg and Geoff Anderson and indigenous artist and mentor Irene Ridgeway, for their invaluable contribution to this mural.”
Ub Ubbo Exchange has worked to promote indigenous and non-indigenous collaborations through the arts. Their philosophy of diverse cultural energies growing through mutual empowerment has been embodied in cultural exchanges, particularly between regional Australia and northern Philippines.
“It is great that we can work with people we might never meet for the benefit of people yet to be born,” said Geoff Anderson, president of the Parkes Wiradjuri Language Group.
“Having this mural named Yindyamarra is a wonderful thing to happen for the Wiradjuri people.”