Two weeks after launching our second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), Basketball Australia is proud to celebrate the talented artist behind its artwork, Kenita Bush.
A proud Dalabon woman from Beswick, NT, Kenita’s journey is woven into her art. Her piece tells the story of a young person navigating life’s challenges and triumphs, supported by family, friends, and mentors. The pathways represent the balance between personal and professional aspirations, reminding us that we can thrive in both.
Kenita’s love for storytelling through art was nurtured by her grandparents, and today, she carries on their legacy. For her, art is more than creativity—it’s a tribute to those who came before her and a way to pass down culture and stories for generations to come.
ABOUT THE ART
This art piece is the story of a young person’s journey. The white going through the middle is the young person’s dream/hopes/ wishes/memories and the big circles through it are major events in the young person’s life, good or bad. Even if you don’t like something that has happened it’s going to stay with you and remind you how far you have come from that moment. That’s what guides a person and pushes them to follow the life that they want for themselves, because no one else can make those choices for you.
The smaller white circles around are the ones who are supporting you, who stand by you through all your decisions - friends, family, coaches. The people who have your back will remind you who you how far you’ve come. They’ll be there for you wherever you are and whenever you need them. They encourage you to always do the best you can and be the best version of you.
The two green paths are the young person’s life. A lot of people must be able to balance work/sport/school and their personal life, and you’ve got to be able to find a middle ground where both of those paths in life thrive. Trying to balance those two separate lives can be difficult and you always must remind yourself that you are good enough for both and keep working hard to succeed in both worlds. We can thrive in our culture and family life, and we can also thrive in the big city life.
The white symbolizes the journey, the green is the lands on which we live, the blue represents the waters that surround our country, and the link from the land to the Torres Strait Islands.
It also shows the different paths in life you could take and that there are many choices in life that you’re going to have to make. You don’t know where any of those choices will lead or how they end but you take the chance to learn and grow.
ABOUT KENITA
Kenita Bush is a proud Dalabon woman from Beswick, Northern Territory. Her skin in name is Bulanjan.
Kenita moved to Melbourne at just 12 years old to attend the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. She schooled in Melbourne for six and a half years and graduated from Huntingtower School in 2022.
During her time in Melbourne, Kenita particularly enjoyed honing her artistic skills, sharing stories about her life and culture through visual art, a passion which continues to this day.
Kenita now resides in Darwin, Northern Territory to study in the Indigenous Youth Mobility Program (IYMP) where she studies CERT 2 in health and a CERT 3 in community services.
Kenita grew up watching her grandparents paint and would always sit beside them yarning and listening to the story behind the artwork and why it was so important to her culture. After many years of watching and practicing, getting support and encouragement from her family, she became a talented artist.
Kenita enjoys the process of creating something that is beautiful and has a story and true meaning to it.
Kenita says “When I paint, I do it for the family I’ve lost. It’s a way of knowing they are with me, because they are the ones who passed this onto me, as I will pass onto my children in the future”.
