Bindi Cole facts for kids

Bindi Cole Chocka (born 1975) is an Australian artist, photographer, writer, and curator. She is known for her modern art and her connection to her Wadawurrung heritage.

Early Life and Learning

Bindi Cole Chocka was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. She studied art at Federation University. She also learned photography at the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE. She is currently studying for her PhD at Deakin University.

Exploring Identity Through Art

Bindi Cole Chocka's art often tells stories from her own life. She explores her Wadawurrung heritage and the importance of Christianity to her. Her work also looks at how politics and rules affect her life and the lives of her family and community. She uses her art to ask questions about how people see and misunderstand modern identity.

Early Artworks

One of Bindi's first big art shows was Heart Strong in 2007. This exhibition was held at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne. It focused on how the media showed Indigenous communities. Bindi also took photos of famous Indigenous sportspeople for a calendar called Men in Black. Her photo of boxer Anthony Mundine, called Do you like what you see, won an award for photography.

Bindi uses many different ways to create her art. She uses photography, video, text, and installations.

Not Really Aboriginal (2008)

Wathaurung Mob, 2008.

Bindi Cole Chocka's art series Not Really Aboriginal includes photos of people with their faces painted black. This series explores her own Indigenous identity. It also looks at how some people question her heritage because of her fair skin.

Sista Girls (2010)

Sista Girls is a photo series from 2010. It focuses on a special community of women in the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory.

Bindi traveled to the Tiwi Islands to take these photos. She had previously photographed a performer from the Tiwi Islands in 2008. This earlier work was chosen as a finalist for a major art award. A photo from the Sista Girls series, called Ajay, won an award in 2009.

In this artwork, Bindi explores different parts of Indigenous identity and culture. She also looks at how these identities connect with the influence of colonisation.

Standing Up for Identity

Bindi Cole Chocka was involved in an important court case in 2011. This case was about articles written by a newspaper writer. The writer had said that Bindi and other Aboriginal people were "choosing" their identity for their own benefit. Bindi stood up for herself and her community in this case.

Achievements and Recognition

Bindi Cole Chocka's artworks have been shown in many famous art galleries. These include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taiwan and the National Gallery of Australia. Her art has also been displayed at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. In 2010, she was named one of Melbourne’s Top 100 Most Influential People by The Age newspaper.

Awards and Honors

Bindi Cole Chocka has won many awards for her art. Here are some of them:

• National Photography Portrait Prize – Finalist (2007)
• William & Winifred Bowness Photography Award – Finalist (2007)
• Victorian Indigenous Art Award, Boscia Galleries Award for Photography – Winner (2007)
• Telstra Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award – Finalist (2008)
• Victorian Indigenous Art Awards, Deadly Art Award – Winner (2009)
• William & Winifred Bowness Photography Award – Finalist (2010)
• National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Telstra Art Awards – Finalist (2010)
• Melbourne Festival Art Trams – winning tram design (2013)
• Victorian Indigenous Art Award, Art Gallery of Ballarat – Highly Commended (2013)
• The Blake Prize – Finalist (2014)
• Wyndham Art Prize – Winner (2015)
• Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize – Invitation Only (2015)
• National Artist Self-Portrait Prize – Invitation Only (2015)