Lin Onus

Lin Onus was a visionary Yorta Yorta artist with Scottish ancestry who fundamentally reshaped contemporary Koori (South-Eastern Aboriginal) art through his groundbreaking fusion of photorealism and Aboriginal iconography. Known affectionately as Uncle Lin, he bridged cultural, political, and artistic traditions, creating work that challenged colonial perceptions and asserted Aboriginal identity on Aboriginal terms. Born into activism as the son of Bill Onus, co-founder of the Aborigines Advancement League, Lin's artistic vision was deeply grounded in Yorta Yorta culture and shaped by time spent at Cummeragunja Mission, where his uncle Aaron Briggs, known as the "old man of the forest," gifted him the name Burrinja (meaning "star"). His first solo exhibition in 1975 was held at the Aborigines Advancement League. In 1986, while representing Victoria on the Aboriginal Arts Board, he travelled to Maningrida and met senior Yolŋu artist Jack Wunuwun, who became his adoptive father and mentor. Wunuwun and other Yolŋu Elders entrusted Lin with permission to incorporate rarrk (cross-hatching) and Yolŋu language into his work, as exemplified in paintings such as Guyi Rirrkiyan Minitji – Fish in Rock Pool (1993). Curator Margo Neale described him as a "cultural terrorist of gentle irreverence" who used stunning realism to subvert expectations and reveal deeper layers of cultural meaning. His work is held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, and Shepparton Art Museum on Yorta Yorta Country and maintains a dedicated space for his legacy. Lin Onus passed away in 1996, leaving an indelible mark on Australian contemporary art and ongoing dialogues around Aboriginal identity, place, and belonging.

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Lin Onus

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