"Lucky Country" is a thank-you note to this country I am fortunate enough to call home.

Based on the story of my family's journey fleeing Vietnam on a boat as refugees, the painting depicts my relatives as lucky cats who lost everything but their lives to war. Drifting between a turbulent past and an uncertain future, they seek protection and hope in a foreign land.

Of the 2 million people estimated to have fled South Vietnam after the war, between 200-400,000 either perished in the sea, lost their lives to the harsh elements or as victims of pirate attacks.

The mass exodus from Indochina in the decade following 1976 resulted in 94,000 refugees from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam settling in Australia, which had abolished the White Australia Policy and reviewed the immigration policy only a decade prior.

This is a painful collective memory shared amongst many war-affected families. As someone who is privileged in many ways, it was important for me to both acknowledge the suffering my elders experienced but also express the sense of gratitude I have for their efforts. It is also a reminder to remain optimistic in the face of adversity.