Ryhia Dank wins the 2022 National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition!

Ryhia Dank, a young Gudanji/Wakaja artist from the Northern Territory is the winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC poster competition for 2022 with her entry, Stronger.

We are so excited to announce that the winner of the 2022 National NAIDOC Poster Competition winner is Ryhia Dank, a young Gudanji/Wakaja artist from the Northern Territory.  

The NAIDOC poster is a symbol of our survival as First Nations Peoples. NAIDOC Week brings us together from many different communities to celebrate our long history as custodians of this land. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will always communicate through the language of art because art connects us to our lands and spirits—it has, and always will be with us, from time immemorial to the far distant future.

“I created this piece after reading this year’s National NAIDOC Week theme – Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! I knew straight away I wanted to do a graphic piece centred around our flags with text highlighting what we have been through and are still fighting for” said Ryhia. “I feel that this piece being black and white allows us to focus on the details and messages in the artwork”

Meet Ryhia and learn more about her storywork by watching this video: 

Ryhia will receive a $10,000 cash prize and attend the 2022 National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony in Narrm (Melbourne) in July this year as a guest of the National NAIDOC Committee.

Ryhia’s artwork was one of more than 300 poster entries, a record number for the NAIDOC Poster Competition. The National NAIDOC Committee would like to thank all those who entered the competition and encourages them to enter again next year.

This year National NAIDOC Week will run from 3-10 July.

Explore the NAIDOC website to get a copy of the poster, download a coulouring-in version, and to share how you are going to celebrate NAIDOC Week.