Artereal Gallery is proud to present Ancestors, Jason Wing’s latest body of work—an evolution of his ongoing exploration of history, resistance, and cultural survival. Expanding on the potent symbolism of his Battleground shields, Ancestors summons the specters of past warriors and knowledge-keepers, standing in silent, unwavering defiance.

Three towering sculptures, each rising to an imposing eight feet, loom over the viewer like spectral guardians. They do not possess bodies, yet they embody presence. Composed solely of shield and spear, these figures distill the essence of ancestral strength, stripped of unnecessary ornamentation. They stand as both memory and monument—ghostly, powerful, and eternal.

Forged from Australian steel and created on Country in Kandos, these works are not inert objects but living cultural entities. The process of their making is a collaboration with nature itself. As rain meets the artist’s chemical treatments, ghostly rings emerge—circles of corrosion left by falling raindrops, forming patterns that echo across time. These marks recall the bullet holes that pierce the Gwegal shield, a wound inflicted in first contact and memorialized in Wing’s earlier shields. But here, the rings suggest something more: lines of encrypted knowledge. A hidden text, written in the language of ancestors. A message from the land. The perforations of a fence line, slicing across Country.

Though these works carry the weight of history, they are not simply a call to arms. They are also a call to care—a reminder to look after both land and people. They are sentinels, protective spirits imbued with ancient wisdom.

In the poised stance of the spear-bearers, gendered histories emerge. One figure holds a three-pronged spear, a tool of sustenance and survival, recalling the women who fished and provided for their families. The spear suggests not only a singular presence but a trinity—a gathering of female figures, bound by shared knowledge and strength. The remaining figures hold weapons with more aggressive, masculine energy, embodying both defense and confrontation.

Jason Wing’s Ancestors does not merely invoke the past; it insists on its continuity. These are not relics of history but beings of the present, still watching, still guiding, still demanding justice.

Rhianna Melhem
Curator