Proud Gudang/Yadhaykenu and Dauareb/Komet woman Colina Wymarra is sharing her intimate story of identity and culture through her new exhibition 'I Am Woman', now showing at Aboriginal Art Co in Magandjin (Brisbane).

Launched on Friday, the exhibition explores womanhood and transformation through a deeply personal lens.

Ms Wymarra said the idea behind 'I Am Woman' was something she had carried for a long time.

"This exhibition, it's called 'I Am Woman' and I've always had it in my heart to do something about women," she told National Indigenous Times.

The journey to this exhibition began with a deeply personal moment of healing.

After the passing of her father in 2023, Ms Wymarra turned to painting as a way to heal.

"When my dad passed away in 23, I was telling people that my brother went and bought chickens to heal," she said.

"And I picked up a canvas and paint brushes and thought 'that's my healing.'"

She spent weeks immersed in her art as part of that process.

"I locked myself in the room for about five weeks and I just painted and that was my grieving process," she said.

"It's funny how something beautiful comes out of grief because I actually did a painting in that room and it won the Remote Area Artist of the Year for 2023 in Queensland with Flying Arts."

That moment sparked a new chapter in her practice and led to exhibitions at the University of Queensland and the Judith Wright Centre.

The result of that journey is 'I Am Woman', a body of work that celebrates her identity and resilience while honouring the cultural stories that shape her.

Among the works is 'A Different Love', which reflects on the experience of becoming a grandmother for the first time.

Ms Wymarra said the painting was inspired by a conversation with her mother, who told her that becoming a grandmother brought a unique kind of love.

"My mum came to me and she said, 'Oh, you're going to be a grandmother,'" she said.

"I sort of screwed my face up and wasn't happy about it... but she said, 'Oh, don't do that. It's a different love.', and I couldn't comprehend that."

She said the meaning became clear the moment she held her granddaughter.

"When she was born, I held her and I thought this is what my mum was talking about because I didn't realise that there were different levels of love until I became a grandma," she said.

"So I put 'Amazing Grace' on it because that's the only words that I can use to comprehend becoming a grandmother, like the feeling."

The painting's details, including fish with heart-shaped mouths, symbolise that discovery of deeper love.

Other works continue the theme of transformation and identity.

'Becoming Her' explores the passage into matriarchy and the lessons passed down through generations of women.

"That's about becoming a matriarch and I suppose even being taught by our mums, or other women in our life, how to become that person," she said.

Another piece 'Hear My Roar', examines the inner voice and self-belief women often struggle to embrace.

"I was just yarning with this mob today. I was saying to them that we can be, women can be the biggest critics," she said.

"We're very self-critical... but that's about overcoming the thoughts in our mind too as well.

"It's called 'Hear My Roar' and it's about learning how to roar and not to be so submissive."

Through 'I Am Woman', Ms Wymarra invites audiences to reflect on the themes she tackles and the enduring role of women as carriers of culture and story.

The exhibition is available for viewing until December 30th.