We believe health is a journey, and connection is the path. This commissioned artwork by Aboriginal artist Luke Penrith reflects that journey of care, where community, culture, and Country come together. It’s a powerful reminder of the role connection plays in every health story.
Luke Penrith is an artist and businessman with Wiradjuri, Wotjobaluk, Yuin and Gumbaynggirr ancestry. Mr Penrith is passionate about sharing Aboriginal Lore, culture and heritage through his art, and supporting the growth of First Nations businesses.
Mr Penrith believes in giving back to community and contributes to environmental, mental health and sporting initiatives through profits from sales of his high-visibility industrial workwear.
Connection is something we often don’t fully appreciate until it’s missing. When your electricity or water supply is cut off, it doesn’t take long to feel the impact. Similarly, the COVID19 lockdowns reminded many of us about the importance of community, and the challenges of disconnection from friends and family.
Aboriginal artist Luke Penrith says connection is at the heart of indigenous culture, and an all-embracing linkage between people, places and country.
“Sometimes we might not fully appreciate that idea of connection,” the Wiradjuri, Wotjobaluk, Yuin and Gumbaynggirr artist and businessman says. “Whether it’s family or community connection… it’s what keeps us going.”
MediRecords commissioned Mr Penrith to create an artwork for National Reconciliation Week and our company core value of connecting healthcare, resonated with him as he began work.
A river runs through the centre of the painting, representing connection with sites used for meetings, social gatherings, hunting and fishing.
“A lot of my artworks are based on waterways, because water is the giver of life,” Mr Penrith says.
“That’s where traditional ceremonies took place and where food was plentiful, through fishing, and kangaroos and emu coming down to drink.”
Circles adjacent to the river represent gatherings of people and the stomping of feet around campfires. “The artwork shows the river running through, connecting points along the waterways. It’s about connection along a path and it’s talking about that ripple effect on health.”
“That’s one of the reasons I like working with organisations like MediRecords. You have the technology to speed up (health) records, in a confidential and secure way… So if my Nan was going to Melbourne, she can call and say her records are already in the cloud… and can be looked at straight away.”
Luke Penrith
Mr Penrith is passionate about improving health for all Australians, but particularly Aboriginal people, for whom the disparity in health outcomes, compared to non-Aboriginal people, remains vast.
His artist grandmother, a key inspiration for his work, is 80 years old.
“At 80, she is probably a one in hundred (for Aboriginal people),” Mr Penrith said. “She has already lost two (adult) sons…
“That’s one of the reasons I like working with organisations like MediRecords. You have the technology to speed up (health) records, in a confidential and secure way… So if my Nan was going to Melbourne, she can call and say her records are already in the cloud… and can be looked at straight away.”
Mr Penrith hopes that as MediRecords introduces his artwork with our community of users, its message will encourage people to be more proactive about their health.
“The main message is about connections and meeting points and that can translate into health as well.
“Hopefully my artwork opens the doors to people like a lot of Aboriginal men, as they don’t like going to doctors or to hospitals.
“If you find out that you’re crook, you’re going to be on a journey and you’re going to get to that point … where you make decisions about actions that need to be taken…”
These are also key connecting moments for our health and wellbeing, he says.
The artwork prepared for MediRecords shows a landscape from the mountains to the sea, highlighting connections between freshwater and saltwater peoples, and the role country plays in the wellbeing of all Australian lives.
“Caring for country is everyone’s business,” Mr Penrith says. And something all Australians can do on a regular basis.”
MediRecords vision is to connect healthcare, enabling the right care at the right time. We provide technology that can help Australia’s healthcare workforce deliver care effectively and safely, thereby improving health outcomes and equity. We welcome conversations about how we can support care for all Australians.
As we acknowledge National Reconciliation Week, we pause to reflect on our shared history, recognise the truths of our past, and reaffirm our commitment to a future grounded in respect, justice, and unity.
