At PICA we recognise that we are situated within the unceded lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We pay our respects and offer our gratitude to Elders past and present. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the importance of their care and continued connection to culture, community and Country.

Always was, always will be.

Galleries are open 12–5pm. Our exhibitions are always free.

Ron Bradfield Jnr 

Sea Stories and Saltwater Legends: Storytelling with Ron Bradfield Jnr 

Sea Stories and Saltwater Legends: Storytelling with Ron Bradfield Jnr 

Join storyteller, artist and Bard Jawi man Ron Bradfield Jnr for an immersive storytelling session. 

In response to PICA’s current exhibition Awakening Histories, which explores the deep and enduring connections between Australian Aboriginal peoples and Makassan seafarers, Ron invites audiences to journey with him through tales of sea, spirit and family. 

Drawing on his experiences as a former member of the Australian Defence Force and his childhood growing up in Jambinu/Geraldton, Ron shares stories of pirates and seafarers, life by the water and the role of the ocean as a guiding force in his life. 

You are invited to listen, reflect and be transported by stories that weave together history, culture and the enduring relationship between people and place. 

Register below

About the artist

Ron Bradfield Jnr is a Bard, Jawi man of the saltwater peoples around Djarindjin, Western Australia. Born in Mooniemia (Northampton), he grew up in Jambinu (Geraldton) but now calls Walyalup (Fremantle) his home.

As the CYO of Yarns R Us, Ron supports artists, arts professionals, arts organisations and institutions across Australia and overseas. He is currently the Community Engagement Facilitator with John Curtin Gallery at Curtin University.

As a storyteller and artist, Ron tells and makes stories that unpick his own personal experiences surviving our society and what it is to be ‘Australian’. As the eldest son of a Stolen Generations mother, Ron presents stories of himself as a child, as an adult and as an ex-serving member of the Australian Defence Force.

Tapping into the physical memories of a time past through the use of familiar objects and Australian culture markers, Ron retells his stories, challenging today’s Australians about how they remember the places they grew up in and the experiences they had, well away from the reality of Aboriginal and Islander peoples.   


Supporters

PICA’s events are made possible thanks to the support of our Community Engagement Partner, City of Perth. 

City of Perth, City of Light