When Shaun Edwards creates art, he is doing more than painting a canvas. He is sharing stories, preserving knowledge systems and honouring responsibilities that have been passed down through generations.
A proud Kokoberrin person from Pinnarinch in Cape York of the White Dingo Clan, Shaun is the winning artist of the 2026 Blak Arts and Business Festival design competition. His winning artwork, Pa Chelaki – Preparing for Ma Pinjénvng, reflects the deep connections between health, healing, Country and culture that underpin both his creative practice and academic research.
Currently a PhD candidate with UQ's Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, Shaun's work spans academia, public health, cultural leadership and the arts. His doctoral research, Pa La Nganthenduw Ngatherruw Yunngal Yinggay Ngerr Wur Kung, explores Kokoberrin philosophies of declaring and defending ancestral responsibilities to land, sea and freshwater through Ngalth Paany Wudar (Good Health). The research seeks to document and revitalise one of the world's oldest health and governance systems, connecting Kokoberrin knowledge with contemporary health practice. Grounded in Indigenous methodologies, decolonising approaches and visual anthropology, the project responds to Shaun's concern about the ongoing decline in the health and wellbeing of Kokoberrin people and the absence of Kokoberrin knowledge systems within mainstream health policy, research and service delivery.
Beyond academia, Shaun is an accomplished artist and cultural entrepreneur through Wild Barra Co., producing exhibitions, cultural objects and interdisciplinary works that share Kokoberrin stories and philosophies with broader audiences. His artistic practice encompasses traditional cultural objects including shark tooth knives, bailer shell necklaces, fire sticks and Kaar headdresses, reflecting a commitment to cultural continuity, intergenerational learning and the preservation of Kokoberrin language and knowledge.
His contributions across research, community engagement, policy development and the arts have earned recognition for leadership, innovation and partnership. Throughout his work, Shaun champions representation, cultural safety and the inclusion of Elders and Indigenous knowledge holders in systems and services designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The artwork: Pa Chelaki – Preparing for Ma Pinjénvng
Shaun's winning artwork serves as a visual expression of Ngalth Paany Wudar (Good Health), a living knowledge system centred on the preservation of medicine, healing practices and cultural knowledge for future generations. Created in 2026 using acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, Pa Chelaki – Preparing for Ma Pinjénvng depicts the preparation for traditional healing practices and honours Kokoberrin healing traditions that have sustained the people's health and wellbeing for countless generations.
As shown in the artwork, before Ma Pinjénvng, or plant-medicine healing, can begin, the body is nurtured through warmth and chant with ironwood smoke, creating balance between body, mind, spirit and Country.
At the heart of the composition stands Ma Pinjénvng, the healing tree, representing the source of medicine and more than 60,000 years of living knowledge. Outstretched hands symbolise the transfer of healing, while surrounding figures acknowledge the relationships between healer, family and ancestral knowledge. Together, these elements reflect a holistic understanding of health grounded in connection, responsibility and cultural continuity.
For Shaun, the inclusion of this work in the Blak Arts and Business Festival provides an opportunity to make visible knowledge, practices and stories that have always existed but have too often remained unseen, unheard or undocumented.
To explore more of Shaun's work and the stories behind his cultural practice, visit www.wildbarra.com.au
