ARTIST STATEMENT By Ashleigh Lynch –

This design was created as visual voice a powerful blend of culture, story, and truth.
Using the sacred colours of the Aboriginal flag black, red, and yellow I wanted to embed meaning into every letter. These aren’t just colours. They carry thousands of years of spirit.
Black represents my people our strength, our survival, and our continued presence.
Red speaks of the land the earth that holds the memory of our ancestors.
Yellow is the sun giver of life, hope, and future.
Together, these colours form the foundation of identity, pride, and resilience. When I placed them inside the CFMEU logo, I was bringing two worlds together, the world of hard work, solidarity, and workers’ rights, with the ancient world of my people a world that is still here, still strong, still unceded.
The phrase “Always Was, Always Will Be” carries deep cultural and political weight. It reminds us that sovereignty was never given up. This land has always been and always will be Aboriginal land.
This isn’t just art to me. It’s a lifelong dream. As a child, I always wanted to tell our stories through my eyes.
Art became a way for me to connect with my culture, to process my own journey, and to keep our voices alive.
Every piece I create holds both ancestral memory and personal truth. To see this design printed and worn means more than I can explain. It’s a reminder that our stories matter that our identity deserves to be seen, and that our voices even when they’ve been silenced in the past can rise powerfully through colour, canvas, and community.
This design is not just mine. It’s a reflection of who we are as people. It’s legacy in motion.