OPENING EVENT: Wednesday 9 July, 6pm. To be opened by Judith Jackson (Aunty Jacko).
Welcome to Country by traditional owner, Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
Bayley Arts is proud to present the paintings of Leslie J Stanley, a Wuli Wuli elder and artist from Central West Queensland and Chrissyray Weetra, a young emerging artist of the Warumungu and Arrente tribes.
Together, their work weaves tradition with vibrant contemporary expression. Les and Chrissyray form a bridge of time and experience highlighting their strength and resilience that comes from looking forward while staying connected to their land and culture.
Supported by Bayside City Council
DATES: 10 July to 25 July, 2025
NAIDOC workshop (information to come)
Saturday 12 July 10am to 12.30pm
Artist bios
Chrissyray Weetra
Christinaray Nadya Weetra is a woman of the Warumungu and Arrente tribes, born in Darwin. In her early years, she lived with her mother, father, and baby brother. However, after her family decided to move to Melbourne, Chrissyray faced an unstable childhood, frequently moving between different homes, schools, and shelters. Through enduring racial discrimination, family violence, and bullying, she developed a deep resilience that influenced the kind of person she strives to be today. In 2013 Chrissyray was nominated and won the ‘The Young Citizen of the year Award’ for Stonnington Council.
As a woman in her early thirties, Chrissyray is full of creativity, passion and determination. She approaches her art with vibrancy, blending traditional motifs with modern expressionism showing a natural ability to dazzle the viewer. Her paintings reflect her strength and dedication to preserving her heritage by maintaining a close connection with family in the Northern Territory, whom she visits annually. Through her art, we witness Chrissyray’s distinctive style, firmly grounded in her past, present, and future.
Uncle Les Stanley
Leslie J Stanley is a Wuli Wuli man, who grew up in outback central west Queensland. He has worked as an artist for nearly forty years and for the past twenty years has been a familiar face in St Kilda, living and working as an artist.
Since moving to Melbourne, Les has become a recognised and well respected Elder in the Port Phillip community, and has contributed on community consultation and steering groups, and plays an important role in mentoring youth. His paintings have been selected for covers on Port Phillip Council publications and he has been involved in local community art projects including the Pinaroo Village Street Art Project, Imagined Laneways and the Urban Enhancement Chromodile Project. In 2015 Les was awarded the Koorie Heritage Trust Moogji Club People’s Choice Award for his painting The First Song Bird.
Les has developed a unique painting style that merges his traditional dot-painting with vibrant, contemporary colours. The contrast between his meticulous cross hatching and dots stacked in layers of electric colours, brings his paintings to life in ways that feel almost sculptural, as though they might pop right off the canvas. His technique is refined and sophisticated, grounded in a lifetime of learning and teaching. With each flawless brushstroke, Les reaffirms the timeless importance of his tradition and profound connection to his land.
Uncle Les is decidedly ol' skool when it comes to his art, so the only way viewers can enjoy his amazing paintings is in the flesh.