"When I was young I learned how to spear fish, I was always sitting listening to the old people talking, listening to those old men. We used to go camping out bush and stayed away from the mission.

I didn't like school, they used to come looking for me. My mother used to tell me stories of the dormitory, how she would cry for her parents. They used to find me at the end of the day sleeping under the benches. I liked sports days, I used to make deals with the teachers. I used to like learning from my grandmother and grandfather, learning to sing all the songs they kept in their heads.

In 1984 I first travelled to Italy to dance. We danced the north and south of Italy. I've now danced in Germany, Western Samoa and around Australia. I have four brothers and two sisters. I'm in the middle. I think my new work is coming out. I like painting, I don't have a favourite, I like it all, trying different things, that's my support and inspiration. I like having stories, today and yesterday's stories, I like chances to sing along with songs from country in Lardil. I have five boys and three girls. I have my wife and we have three boys and a girl coming. I like doing my body painting, I like using my day to make paintings about my grand parents teachings and my country of Birri."

Wayne Williams