Well, all I want to be seen as is a quiet lad, interesting and someone who knows about history along the river, the way I grew up and about family and things like that.

For a painter who wishes to be remembered as a ‘quiet lad’, Ian Abdulla has been creating quite a stir over the last 15 years. He is recognised as one of Australia’s most distinctive and appealing contemporary visual artists. This book takes you on a journey into the world of Ian Abdulla as he grew up along the River Murray. You’ll find the ride enchanting and provocative. As Stephen Fox says of Abdulla’s painted chronicles of an Aboriginal life: ‘You read the text then view the image or vice versa, no matter which way he has caught your attention, he has told you another story.