Cover artist… Billy Bain

Born in Manly, raised in Avalon, Billy Bain’s talents span ceramic sculpture, oil painting, etchings, and installations. His work explores his experiences as an Indigenous man existing within urban Australia, tackling some of society’s most challenging issues, always with a satirical take on contemporary Australian culture. It’s an honour to showcase his July Tawny cover which was a finalist in this year’s Wynne and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

What’s your favourite beach?
I’m a big fan of Avalon, but any of the northern corners of several of the Northern Beaches, you might find me when the conditions are good. They all have their day.

When did you discover you had a gift for art?
Growing up, I was always drawing, making art. The whole family is very artistic, everyone always had projects on the go. At first, I wanted to be an illustrator. MAD magazines, comic books, I loved those, and that’s where I probably got the sense of satire from that comes through in my works now. But all my life, I’ve been drawing, painting, creating.

Did you study art?
Eventually. I started briefly on some other pursuits, but I found my way to arts study soon enough, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UNSW in 2019.

What was the inspiration for the artwork on the July cover?
In my mid 20s, it first occurred to me how powerful it could be to explore the cultural identities of “Being Manly”. Around that time, I started to feel more confident with incorporating a degree of satire into my work too. The cover art is inspired by the vintage beer posters which line the tiled walls of the pubs on Manly Corso which celebrate white, manly Australians playing cricket, footy, boxing, those sorts of things. Placing an Indigenous man at the heart of it celebrates Indigenous strength and presence. This is especially significant as strong Indigenous Australians, even those who’d served in World Wars, they weren’t permitted into many drinking establishments at the time. And the Okanui boardshorts are a fascinating touch, established on the Northern Beaches yet with Hawaiian connotations. There’s a lot going on there, which is great. People can take away from it what they will.

What does the future hold for Billy Bain?
I’ve just finished filming a documentary for the ABC, Changing Tides, which will go to air on 2 July as part of this year’s NAIDOC week. It’s been an amazing project, essentially doing what I love, travelling up the east coast of Australia. But all the magic spots I’ve spent so much time at surfing over the years, Changing Tides explores the Indigenous stories, history, and heritage of these iconic places. I’d never worked in TV or presenting before, so it’s been a great experience for me on that front. But the knowledge, the history, the untold stories of these places, it’s incredible to be a part of this. I’ve also just moved into a new studio with lots of space, so I’ll be busy preparing for upcoming exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Southern Highlands.

Finally, with the Voice referendum imminent, how are you feeling as that approaches?
Equal parts scared and excited. There’s certainly a fear this won’t succeed, and what impact that could have to set us back. But the upside of formal recognition is huge, having a seat at the table. I’m hopeful.