Khatija Possum

"I would love to write an article about you lovely guys I’d even do a blog (video). It’s been my dream to be apart of something like this I’m forever grateful and it’s all because of you, Tui! ❤️🤩

Being a part of Koh living is extremely giving.

As it’s been something that I've always wanted to do and work with, sharing my art work that's being displayed on multiple products just brings that brightness of joy to my eyes!

And my mother and I are simply happy how we’ve been welcomed to this journey and getting to know Tui and Nyree along the way where we’ve had plenty of catch ups with Tui and her family over dinner and we now share a friendship bond. Tui and Nyree are absolutely amazing people and have looked after myself and my mother through this all and we’re both happy how everything has turned out. Tui always seems to surprise us more and more with these remarkable ideas that we absolutely love so much.

Tui, thank you for choosing myself and my Mother to be a part of this wonderful collaboration. We are totally grateful and couldn’t be any more happier. You are tremendously amazing and you should be very proud of yourself as we are. Thanks again, Tui.

From me and mum X o"

~ KHATIJA POSSUM

Connection to Country: Love is inseparable from the land, or "Country." It's a spiritual bond, a reciprocal relationship where the people care for the land, and the land nourishes them in return. Love for one another is mirrored in the love for Country. Respect for Elders: Elders are the living libraries of Aboriginal culture, holding the wisdom of generations. Love is shown through deep respect for their knowledge, guidance, and stories. It's about listening, learning, and honoring their place in the community. Cultural Preservation: Love is expressed through the preservation of traditions, ceremonies, and language. It's about passing on the knowledge of the Dreaming, the ancestral stories that connect people to their land and identity. This ensures the continuation of Aboriginal culture for future generations.

In this Dreaming story from Papunya, NT, the Rainbow Serpent is the mighty creator who carved the land, shaping valleys, rivers, and of course, the sacred waterholes! As she slithered through the red earth, her body left behind the winding paths of rivers and the pools of water that sustain life. The waterhole is her resting place, a sacred mirror reflecting her rainbow colors when the sun hits just right. She’s both protector and giver, bringing water and life but also warning that the land must be respected. The Mimi spirits dance around her, sometimes stirring trouble, reminding all who come near to honour the balance between creation and chaos, but to always to respect the waterholes and to never trouble them. So, the Rainbow Serpent is the cosmic painter sketching with constellations and water, weaving the land’s story into the stars above and the water below. It’s like floating in space, where every ripple and colour tells a story of life’s endless flow leaving behind its natural beauty of bright colours into the waterholes.

The Women’s Dreaming paintings by Khatija depicts Women’s ceremonial sites surrounding Tjukurla in the western desert of Central Australia – traditional homelands to the artist’s great grandmother. Ceremonial sites carry a deep spiritual meaning, and it is where the women narrate their sacred Aboriginal dreamtime stories, through song lines, dance cycles and body paint. This painting has many secret and sacred landmarks and iconography but also includes the important fire, bush tucker and waterholes that are imperative to the women as the ceremonies can last for over a week. Though primarily a landscape painting Khatija has surpassed the basic stories and landmarks and has expanded this art of body painting and ceremonial themes into a classic contemporary composition, using modern acrylic paints.

In the Dreamtime, seven Napaltjarri women were pursued by a Jakamarra man named Jilbi. He practiced love magic in a cave at Irlkirdi, enticing young women to live with him. The women ran away, eventually resting at Uluru in search of honey ants. When they saw Jilbi approaching, they gathered in a circle, digging a hole while singing to make themselves disappear, gliding into the night sky appearing as stars, the Pleiades cluster in the Taurus constellation. He followed them, appearing as the Morning Star in Orion’s belt, still trying his best to get them.