Born and bred in Rockhampton, Sid Domic, of aboriginal descent, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and is now a respected Indigenous artist of over 25 years. Domic played in Australia for the Brisbane Broncos and the Penrith Panthers, and in England for the London Broncos, the Warrington Wolves, the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (Heritage № 1215), and Hull F.C. Domic also coached junior players whilst playing professionally, and following his retirement.
While he was in Brisbane with the Broncos, Domic worked for the Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agency, helping young people in detention learn more about Aboriginal culture, sometimes bringing in Elders to talk to the kids; storytellers, musicians, dancers, artists, trying to make them more aware of their culture. Sid had been bringing artists into the centre to teach the boys how to paint, and started to sit down with them and paint a bit himself. If he learned something about his people, he would paint it, and has gone on to paint hundreds of paintings he is really proud of, with his pictures being an interpretation of what he has learnt.
An opportunity to combine his passion for sport with his art, in 2010 Domic's artistic ability led him to be selected from a field of six artists to design the Indigenous All Stars' jersey, as well as Johnathan Thurston's custom headgear, for the annual NRL All Stars matches. Much of his own knowledge in this area has been passed down to him from his grandmother, Ivy Domic.
A proud Kalkadoon man, painting is a second career for Sid, with an awakening to his culture during his early 20’s seeing Sid start a journey of discovery about his heritage. He uses his art as a tool of expression, telling the stories of his roots, and he brings to life the culture of his people, the Kalkadoons. Ever since discovering his roots, he has been researching about the Kalkadoon people and his family's background as much as possible, and a display of his work called “Searching for my Kalkadoon” has been exhibited at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in the U.K. after Hossack was alerted to Domic’s work by a client in Hull sending her a cutting from a local newspaper. "Sid has an incredible sense of colour and his designs are remarkable," she told BBC Sport.
Domic’s paintings are ongoing projects, and he will go back and add to apparently finished pieces as he learns more about the history of his people and his own heritage. He's also found opportunities to extend his research and his art through speaking engagements at schools, organised by the clubs he played for overseas. If a student asked a question he couldn't answer, it became an opportunity to do further research and more painting. Through his fame from his playing career, he has visited children at many schools to expose them to Aboriginal culture.
Passionate about Aboriginal culture in general, Domic has an ambition to spread knowledge about Australian hidden culture through his art and to promote stories in a way of learning or to stimulate conversation about the content of his art. His ability to connect to a story comes naturally and his creations flow seemingly effortlessly, as he captures symbolism through art. He has a keen interest in meeting people and experiencing their journeys through his art, where their story is given in layers throughout the project of a commissioned piece.
Apart from his art, he is an avid gardener, with a dream of owning his own farm one day, farming the traditional way and restoring the land to its original DNA and planting native grasses, and native plants for food and medicine, and has plans of helping larger sections of Aboriginal communities. He hopes to return to Mt Isa and connect with country, and to visit Palm Island and Mornington Island in search for a connection to his people, the Kalkadoons.
More Info
2003 Pyramid Parr Hall, WARRINGTON, UK. Solo exhibition.
2006 Rebecca Hossack Gallery, LONDON, UK. Solo exhibition.
2007 Stockill/Dove House exhibition, HULL, UK. SELL OUT Solo exhibition.
Large Donation made to LOCAL HOSPICE from proceeds of this exhibition.
2007 Print Exhibition (reproduction prints), HULL UK.
2008 Emerging Artist Exhibition, Shalom College, Bundaberg, AUSTRALIA. Joint exhibition
2009 Off the Field with Sid Domic, Bundaberg, AUSTRALIA solo exhibition.
2010 ‘Cross Culture – Creating on Country’, Thornhill, AUSTRALIA touring joint exhibition. Bundaberg, Childers, Maryborough. AUSTRALIA
2011 Gatakers Artspace, Maryborough, AUSTRALIA Joint exhibition.
More Info
2010, 2011, 2012 NRL Indigenous All Stars Jersey Design
2007-2011 Commercial artworks commissioned by:
Brisbane Broncos
Bundaberg Brewed Drinks
St. Lukes Anglican school mural
Uniforms for Shalom College, Townsville
NRL artworks commissioned for gifts
Bundaberg Mayor artwork commissioned for gifts
QRL uniforms for U16 QLD Indigenous team
Madison Sports Headgear design artwork
2011 Attended Maraiki Festival, Hawkes Bay NZ - Cross Cultural Exchange Workshops
2014-current Deadly Choices Health Check Shirt Designs
Visit ARTIST's website here.
This is only visible to you because you are logged in and are authorized to manage this website. This message is not visible to other website visitors.
This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!