Artist Profile
DENNIS GOLDING
Dennis Golding is a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay and Biripi artist, born and raised on Gadigal land in Redfern, Sydney. Drawing on his childhood memories and urban upbringing, he works across painting, video, photography, and installation to explore Aboriginal identity, culture, and history.
Surrounded by art from a young age through his mother and grandmother, Golding developed his practice at UNSW Art & Design, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in 2019. His work has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery of South Australia, Carriageworks, and Sydney Living Museums, and is featured in public art installations across Sydney.
As an artist and curator, and co-founder of the Re-Right Collective, Golding presents powerful representations of contemporary Aboriginal life, challenging narratives and celebrating community, resilience, and culture.
The Block
This artwork, ‘Growing Up On The Block’, reflects Dennis’ childhood memories of life in Redfern and the strong sense of community that surrounded him.
In the painting, the terrace houses depict the homes that lined the streets of Redfern, while the skyscrapers represent the city growing up around them. Campfires symbolise the gatherings of family and community on The Block.
The bold pink lines mark the land and water pathways that connect people and place, while the finer smaller lines trace the train tracks and pathways that run through the area.
The colours of pink and blue are drawn directly from his Nan’s house on Eveleigh Street, a place of love, resilience, and belonging.
Through these elements, Dennis captures both personal memory and community identity, honouring The Block as a space of cultural strength and survival.
Freshwater Saltwater
Freshwater Saltwater is inspired by the journey my family and I made between Collarenebri, in Kamilaroi Country, and Redfern in Gadigal Country. My ancestral ties to Kamilaroi Country, where my family lived before moving to Redfern in the 1960s, are central to this work, reflecting the movement between Country and City that has shaped our lives.
In this piece, the pathway lines trace the routes we travelled, connecting places of significance along the way. The colours capture the changing landscapes between freshwater and saltwater — from the rivers and plains of Collarenebri to the urban environment of Sydney. I’ve included gathering places and community kin to honour the people, connections, and stories that accompany this journey, celebrating the bonds of family and community that persist across generations and distance.
Through these elements, Freshwater Saltwater explores memory, movement, and the enduring connections between place, people, and culture. The work invites viewers to reflect on journeys of belonging, the blending of Country and City, and the ways in which Aboriginal identity is carried, shared, and transformed across landscapes.
Dennis Golding
Dennis Golding runs his independent studio in Sydney, where he creates works across painting, video, photography, and installation. His practice combines personal memory, cultural storytelling, and urban experience, producing artworks that explore contemporary Aboriginal identity and community. Golding also works on curatorial projects and collaborative initiatives, including public art installations and exhibitions that bring Aboriginal stories into shared spaces.