The Artwork Story

This artwork is a tribute to the SNAP Trial taking place throughout Australia, focusing on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, and communities with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. It also welcomes all First Nations participants in the SNAP Trial across the globe into a unified story of hope and healing through research.

The canvas weaves together different shades of purple — reflecting the SNAP Trial and gram positive bacteria — with traditional ochres that represent the land upon which the trial is conducted.

In the foreground, five campfires are connected by flowing rivers, telling the story of community and connection. The circles symbolise the layered consent process essential to engaging and recruiting participants for this important research. The U-shapes represent all those involved in the trial — project officers, nurses, doctors, researchers, etc — and their meaningful interactions with patients, families, and communities.

Between these elements, wavy lines trace each patient's unique journey throughout the trial period.The background echoes and expands upon the foreground narrative. Flowing lines represent the diverse landscapes of our Country — the waterways, high grounds, and low grounds that define the places where participants live. Scattered dots symbolise the data and results being gathered from across Country, each one representing a story, an outcome, a step toward better health.

Kangaroo tracks bound across the canvas. Kangaroos carry and nurture their young — a powerful metaphor for care and protection. The large tracks represent the healthcare professionals and researchers supporting patients and their families (shown as smaller tracks) on their shared journey through the trial.

Together, the background creates a topographic pattern that honours the diverse origins of SNAP trial participants, from urban centres to rural towns to remote communities across Country, all united in this important work toward better health outcomes.