Jessie Waratah was born and lives on Bediagal Country in Sydney’s Inner West, with ancestral ties to Mungindi and the Gamilaraay Nation. Her strongest cultural influences come from her extended Aboriginal family and Elders living in Sydney, as well as her Warlpiri family, who together have raised and supported her since birth. Jessie is a practicing artist working primarily in acrylics and digital media. Her art practice explores themes of connection and identity and has been strongly influenced by her childhood, growing up surrounded by artists and living along the Cooks River. In her most recent works, Jessie continues to expand her artistic practice beyond visual art to incorporate poetry. In her own words, “For me, poetry creates a more intimate dialogue between the artwork and audience, allowing them to connect with the intentions within the artwork.”
 
Luna Dance - Jessie Waratah
If the moon loved me as a daughter, would she change the tides for me Would the sun rise a little later, while I hid under the trees If i had been born under the moon, would moonshine chase shadows from my feet So I could step without doubt, fear or heartbreak, As I dance teasing sand with my feet If the moon loved me as a daughter, would she lull me to sleep So the stars could shimmer, whisper and scheme as I lay quietly beneath.