Greeno: Generations of Cultural Creation and Design

It is with great sadness that we respectfully acknowledge the passing of Uncle Rex Greeno on the 18th of August 2025. Our thoughts are with his family and the Pakana community.

It has been such an honour to work with Uncle Rex and the Greeno family over the past year, bringing the incredible Greeno exhibition to fruition. An unforgettable journey, and a testament to Uncle Rex’s dedication in keeping culture safe through the passing of knowledge onto family. Thank you Uncle.  Our love and thoughts are with Aunty Lola, Vanessa, Dean, Charlyse, Sheryden and family.

Uncle Rex Greeno was born and raised on Flinders Island. His grandfather, Silas Mansell, is the direct family link to his Aboriginal culture and taught him how to fish, hunt, catch and process mutton birds and how to set kangaroo snares. Once Rex finished school, he went cray fishing with his father and his brother and during this trip, he helped build a cray boat. Rex’s years of fishing, experience at sea, and learning skills with his family influenced him to undertake extensive research and experiment in building traditional bark watercraft.

Today, he is recognised as a Senior Craftsman who continued important cultural knowledge in the construction and methods of early Aboriginal Tasmanian bark canoes. Rex’s canoes have been collected by National and State museums throughout Australia, including the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Rex worked with his son Dean and grandson Harrison to pass on his knowledge and skills of making contemporary bark canoes to future generations.

 Aunty Lola Greeno and Uncle Rex Greeno are highly respected, recognised and much loved pakana Elders from Lutruwita. Many acknowledge and greatly value their unwavering contribution to their culture and craft. As part of their legacy they have passed on this knowledge and skills to their children and grandchildren, skills passed onto them from their elders. This exhibition of four generations of the Greeno family is a celebration of this enduring story as culture remains fierce, vibrant and relevant to our times.

Why I make art is not just about art, but a significant cultural practice passed down through many generations of my family, from my great-grandmother to me, and now to my granddaughters and extended family of nieces. My thoughts are that I learnt about collecting shells, getting to know where and when to collect shells. What are the traditional shells, and how are they collected at spring tide when the weather is suitable for collecting?

- Aunty Lola Greeno, 2025