Shield Designs

The traditional designs of Wanaruah, Wonnarua shields (Maripay / Kurayil) are playfully reworked in Shield Designs by Jon Field. His contemporary experiments in form and design combine traditional Indigenous materials, such as ochres, timber and feathers, with western materials like oil paint and canvas. This exhibition combines two bodies of work from 2022 and 2024, offering an imaginative response to the tradition of shield art.

Jon Field is a Wanaruah, Wonnarua artist living and working on Darug land (Claremont Meadows). His artworks span many genres, from traditional Aboriginal works to portraits of opera singers. Jon Field has been an exhibiting Member of The Royal Art Society of NSW since 1988.