Amanda (Mandy) White is an Aboriginal artist of Yamatji heritage born in Guildford, Western Australia. Mandy’s art career began in her early thirties when she started her studio work at DADAA in 2010. Over the subsequent decade, Mandy has become a passionate, award-winning artist and a strong role model for artists with disability. Intrinsic to Mandy’s work is her boundless energy, as seen in her confident, lively mark-making, her use of vibrant colours and playfulness with figurative imagery. Mandy’s work explores her fascination with the supernatural beings that exist in the Noongar and Yamatji landscape. For some people, talking about these ‘little people’ and ‘creatures’ is taboo, but for Mandy, it is her way of staying connected to her family and culture. Drawing on these stories told to her by her mother and other family members, Mandy brings these creatures to life. Mandy’s interpretation of these beings is that they are cheeky, naughty, sometimes scary and at other times mischievous and funny. They live in the bush, but sometimes venture into suburbia, usually to cause mayhem, or maybe teach someone a lesson. Mandy’s artwork often explores universal themes and stories used to help children remember lessons and virtues. From playful people to quirky creatures, family connections to representations of nature, Mandy’s work is very personal yet also conveys ideas accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
