Let's go Down Under!

Aboriginal Art and Traditions

With 40% of its population having Celtic roots (almost 10 million people), Australia is home the farthest Celtic diaspora, but its culture is the result of a rich and diverse mix of Aboriginal and Celtic cultures among many others. In 2016, the Lorient Interceltic Festival celebrated the year of Australia by inviting Australian artists such as Siobhán Owen, Claymore, Sásta and the Aboriginal Australian musician Archie Roach. The key art and poster design of that 46th edition was full of Celtic and Australian symbols like didgeridoos, boomerangs, eucalyptus leaves, lizards, bagpipes, a harp and triskelion, all of which were meticulously placed around the iconic kangaroo, representing the fusion of the rich and diverse cultures inhabiting this island continent.

The design was created by the Lorient-based agency Original Communication and used the dot painting technique while drawing inspiration from the curves, lines and colourful pigment nuances that are typical of the Dreamtime paintings that have been used for thousands of years by Aborigines as a way of telling stories and pass them on from generation to generation. This vibrant design was a heartfelt tribute to the first people of this land and their 50,000-year-old culture and traditions, while integrating them into the contemporary melting pot that is the Lorient Interceltic Festival. The whole design was counterbalanced by a night sky dotted with stars as a reference to the tagline of that edition: ‘Celts under the southern cross’