Biography

Niah Juella McLeod (1973- ) is a descendant of the Monero, Wandandian and Yuin peoples of south-east Australia. She is the daughter of Kathrin Sharp, a painter, and Bobby Mcleod, an Aboriginal activist, poet, healer, musician and Yuin elder. 

Niah's works are inspired by different moments in her life, and only a few have meaning related to traditional Dreamtime stories. All the canvases feature either fine lines or small dots forming a hypnotic pattern, created using a pipette, a brush or the spine of an echidna, a small animal typical of the Australian fauna. Some of the canvases are pierced by a kind of crack symbolising a fishing line, known as a ‘waraawara’.

 Awards and distinctions:
- Other Art Fair 2015, Sydney, Australia
- Young Artist Art Award 2016, Queensland, Australia
- Paddington Art Prize 2017, Redfern, Australia