In 1958, aged seven, Sandra was taken from
the care of her mother, and along with her three siblings were placed in an orphanage for ‘assimilation’.
Fostered out to a white family, she stayed with them until her marriage at age 17. It was not until 1985 that Sandra was finally reunited with her biological parents.
Inspired to research her family, she set out on a journey of discovery, both in relation to her true identity and cultural heritage; her traditional clans are Balladong and Wilmen on her mother’s side and Wardandi and Minang on
her father’s side.
Sandra’s art tells of her experiences.
To her it is a visual essay of the suffering and losses she and her people have suffered in the recent past; however, more importantly, she sees it as a celebration of survival, revival and, finally, a triumph of the Indigenous spirit.
Through her works, which have been exhibited widely and are held in major collections, Sandra is always endeavouring to diminish the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
