4. Joyce Watson Bauble 2025

Joyce Watson, Acrylic paint on paper mache bauble, L 8cm, W 8cm, D 8cm.

Joyce Watson is a proud Waanyi woman from Mount Isa, Queensland, and a long-practicing artist whose creative legacy is reflected both in her own work and that of her daughter, acclaimed artist, Judy Watson. Joyce’s multidisciplinary practice spans lino block printing, charcoal drawing, fabric dyeing, multi-layer overprinting, lithography, silk painting, acrylics, and mixed media. Her work reflects a lifetime of exploration, experimentation, and dedication to cultural storytelling.

Joyce draws deeply on her Aboriginal matrilineal heritage, which shapes the way she thinks, feels, and moves through the world. Her bauble features a snake motif, representing the Rainbow Serpent, a figure of cultural significance for the Waanyi peoples. The snake also holds significance for the Brisbane (Maiwar) River, connecting her work to both ancestral and local landscapes.