Mick Harding
Biography
Mick Harding belongs to the Yowong-Illam-Baluk clan (Mansfield Region) of the Taungurung people. He lives with his family in the rolling foothills of Gippsland’s Strzelecki ranges, a short drive from Morwell National Park, and is an active member of the Taungurung, local and Victorian Indigenous communities. Through a journey of discovery about his own heritage and many years of honing his artistic talents, Mick has become a skilled artisan creating high quality works in his purpose built studio-workshop on the family property.
Through working closely with his own Taungurung people, he has developed a strong understanding of Indigenous culture, and has learned to appreciate the ties between the land, its flora and fauna, and man’s responsibility to protect the land and maintain the intricate and delicate relationships that exist there.
Mick draws his inspiration from the compelling legends of his people, and weaves the images of those legends into each of his art- works. He creates unique woodcrafts and highly expressive prints, and each piece is a unique original. He adds great value by appending a story about the development of each individual piece. The story provides an overview of the legend depicted by the image, creating a link between the viewer and the Indigenous culture. In the case of woodcraft, Mick also details the source of the timber used, linking the artwork to the environment it came from.
These steps add great value for the purchaser, by providing with a clear cultural link to Indigenous heritage, and fostering a greater understanding of that heritage.
Mick has devoted copious hours to developing both his woodcraft and drawing skills, and learning the specialist techniques employed by skilled artisans. From this learning he has developed his own individual style.