Meet Aléjandro Lauren, the Aboriginal artist showcased in centre
Westfield acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which our business operates, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.
NAIDOC Week is a time to recognise and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, honours 50 years of NAIDOC and shines a light on the powerful legacy of Indigenous communities, the strength of young leaders, and the vision for the future.
To explore the meaning of this year’s theme, we spoke with proud Wiradjuri and Birpai man, Aléjandro Lauren (Wayde) — the artist behind our NAIDOC art installation at Westfield Kotara.
Based on Awabakal and Worimi Country (Newcastle), Aléjandro is a queer artist whose practice focuses on painting and art therapy.
- This year’s NAIDOC theme is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.” What does this mean to you, both personally and as an artist?
This year’s NAIDOC theme speaks directly to the heart of who I am, not just as an artist, but as a proud queer Indigenous man walking with the strength of my ancestors and the love of my community.
To me, strength is about continuing the fight for visibility, justice, and healing. It’s about holding space for culture in every corner of this country, even in the face of silence. Vision is what we carry when we dream of a future that uplifts all people and honours truth-telling. And legacy is what we build every day through art, through language, through the way we care for each other and for Country.
As an artist, this theme is a call to action. It’s about using my voice and creativity to remind people Black, white, and everyone in between that we all have a part to play in shaping a stronger, more honest, and unified future.
- Your new works are titled “Ever Strong, Always Seen.” Can you share how these pieces reflect this year’s NAIDOC message and what inspired their creation?
Ever Strong, Always Seen is my love letter to our people and our Country.
One piece is a tribute to the land, the rivers, skies, red dirt, bush, oceans, and dreaming that surrounds and nurtures us. It’s about respect for Country, recognising that this land has always been, and will always be, Aboriginal land. It’s a reminder that where we stand is sacred.
The second piece focuses on the people and spirit, the elders who have carried the culture, the young ones rising up, and the allies who stand beside us in solidarity. It honours the powerful presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who continue to lead, love, and inspire across every part of this nation.
These works reflect the NAIDOC theme by showing how our strength and legacy are carried forward not only by our own mob but also by the wider community when they choose to listen, learn, and walk with us.
- How do you see your role in passing on stories, strength, and culture to the next generation through your art?
As a contemporary abstract queer Indigenous artist, I see my role as a bridge between past and present, between culture and creativity, between community and connection. I use colour, emotion, and shape to tell stories that can’t always be spoken.
Keeping my language and culture alive through art is my way of honouring those who came before me. But it’s also about holding space for the next generation, giving them permission to be proud, to be soft, to be loud, to be whoever they are.
My art is a living expression of identity, resilience, and joy. And I truly believe our stories don’t belong in museums – they belong in the now, in our homes, our hearts, and our everyday lives.
- What do you hope people feel or reflect on when they experience your work in the centre this year?
I hope people feel a sense of connection to the land beneath them and the spirit within them. I want them to see the Country they walk on, not just pass through it. To remember that this land holds stories older than time, and that we’re all part of its future.
We take so much from Country without slowing down to give back or even to notice. My hope is that these works help people pause. To feel present. To smile. To feel something deeper than just “that’s pretty”
to feel a pull back to old ways, to respect, to care, to community.
Because when we stop and truly see, we start to understand.
