Miles MorrisseauICT
Inspired by his grandmother, Australian First Nations artist Ambrose Killian continues Indigenous traditions in his artwork.
“My inspiration comes from my grandmother’s side. So she’s actually (from) Central Desert of Australia, a lot of stories originate from there,” Killian, Eastern Arrernte and Western Bundjalung tells ICT from his home studio in Sydney, Australia. “Being able to tell and continue those stories is a big part of my inspiration why I paint.”
Killian was selected to design the front face of the medal for the 2026 Sydney Marathon, which represents unity.
“That front face is a piece of a larger artwork that showcases Sydney and acknowledges the clan groups around the Sydney area,” Killian said. “But that main symbol there, it represents community and the community coming together.”
Killian believes the art of the Indigenous people of Australia has become an important part of the country’s mainstream culture.
“The contemporary movement started in the ‘70s in Australia and that was just through some mural work done in the Western Desert of Australia and it’s really grown and become a big part of Australian culture as well,” Killian said, though he added there remains some resistance.
“You’ll always have some divide and some differing opinions on it, but I think for the most part it’s received very well in Australia. So it’s been really nice to see some of that feedback when the whole artwork is represented on the front face of that Sydney Marathon medal,” Killian said. “It’s not like it’s subtle or anything like that. It’s boom, it’s there.”
Keeping his ancestors’ stories and artistic practices is a central part of Killian’s work.
“I sometimes consider myself a bit of a physical vessel. It’s our role to continue what our ancestors started and taught for those you know, thousands of years and although now it looks a little bit different in how we do it,” he says. “It’s a really big effort to interpret those stories in a contemporary way, but also honor the traditional aspect of them.”
Ambrose Killian with collection of art (Photo courtesy Ambrose Killian)
Killian believes that Indigenous art continues to evolve while maintaining connection to the past.
“It’s very fluid, and not as rigid as I think people would assume. We’re evolving our practice and how we teach our young people,” Killian said. “I’ve got three young kids, so I’m always trying to develop fun, interactive ways on how we can teach in a contemporary way while still honoring those old stories.”
It’s important to pass on these traditions to the next generation and although still young, Killian takes on that role of mentor.
“I’m 32 now, so I consider myself as a bit of a halfway point in between being youthful and getting a bit older and we call it “uncle status” over here in Australia,” Killian says. “That’s a huge passion of mine. I get opportunities helping and curating for that next generation. And just teaching them things that I’ve learnt the hard way over the years. but yeah, that’s a huge passion of mine.”
The Sydney Marathon is August 30.
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