In this artwork, Noreen Hudson foregrounds the Aboriginal Hostel, Ayiparinya, which was established in Alice Springs to support transient Indigenous peoples experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
Hudson has used an inexpensive nylon storage bag often associated with migrant and homeless populations, a symbol of displacement and hardship, as the canvas for her painting. On one side of the bag, she has included words of urgent protest in placard-style text, delivering an overt political statement about Aboriginal people’s struggles to find and retain suitable housing. On the other side, she has depicted a vibrant landscape featuring the distinctive contours of Rutjimpa (Mount Sonder), a significant landmark in her homeland in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Together, Hudson’s text and images coalesce to proudly ground her work and its messages in Country.