Seeing Saltwater Country

Seeing Saltwater Country is an art collaboration between photographer Sally Mayman, painter Dale Kentwell and the people of the Dampier Peninsula in Australia’s north-west. Sally and Dale are based in Sydney and were invited to the Dampier Peninsula by Bardi Nyul Nyul man Albert Wiggan.

There they met many locals of the region’s remote Aboriginal communities, and collaborated with them on a series of portraits in landscapes that depict remote community life and celebrate the beauty of a place unlike any other. Sally’s sepia photographs sit alongside Dale’s colourful paintings, both created with direction from each collaborator and with their accompanying handwritten message. At the heart of these portraits is a strong and enduring connection to country.

About the Author

Sally Mayman has been a photographer since the 1980's, working professionally in London and Australia. Sally has specialised in photographing people and landscapes, with many clients from corporate, editorial and government organisations.

Dale Kentwell has been a practising artist since the 1980's and works across different media. She completed an art certificate at TAFE NSW and a BA and MA in visual arts at UNSW Art and Design. She has studied bush regeneration and bush land management and continues to work in this field.