Laura’s ‘Healing’ Is Titans Indigenous Jersey Winner
Coffs Harbour artist Laura Pitt could not have chosen a more fitting title for her winning design for this year’s Gold Coast Titans Indigenous jersey – “Healing”.
At a time when compassion, togetherness and standing united against racism is needed more than ever, “Healing” is the perfect message for the Titans to carry into this year’s NRL Indigenous Round.
After a competition calling on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to submit their entries, Laura’s creation was a popular choice from the list of finalists to be the basis for the Titans Indigenous jersey this season.
Connection with community, passion, support and togetherness are the key messages from Pitt’s inspiring artwork, that will feature on the jersey to be worn by the Titans in the Round 12 clash with the Roosters in Sydney.
All entries were required to use the Titans’ colours of sea, sand and sky to tell a story about the Club, its connection to the region and its commitment to community values.
Laura’s striking design more than fits the brief, with the representation of a gathering to represent coming together as a community, at the heart of the artwork.
“The blue circles in the middle with the symbols on the outside represent the Titans community,” Laura’s entry stated.
“Passion is represented through the coloured dots surrounding the players and supporters with links of the blue and ochre lines that merge together as one.
“The handprints and blue and white waterholes surrounding the area represent connection to the land. The blue and yellow healing leaves represent the resilience of the team that play together and heal together.”
Laura said being given the chance to tell her story through art had been a passion since childhood, and said she could not wait to see her creation transformed into a Titans jersey.
“I love football, I am a big football fan,” Laura said. “I love to follow it, and I wanted to be able to interpret my life story into the artwork to go onto the jersey, because it is a really big thing – especially for the indigenous players at the club.
“I was just inspired by my culture. I paint all the time, I have since I was a little kid
“There are messages about healing, support and togetherness. But the message about connection with the community is a really big thing.”
But she revealed the 2020 Titans Indigenous jersey will not be the first time that Laura’s art and rugby league have come together.
“I actually designed the Indigenous All-Star jersey in 2019,” she said. “It was a big eye-opener for me, but I loved it.”
As part of her prize for creating the winning design, Laura will receive $2000, a signed and framed Titans Indigenous jersey featuring her design, a photo with Titans Head Coach Justin Holbrook and the Titans Indigenous players wearing her design, and four tickets to see the Titans play in her jersey at Cbus Super Stadium against the Broncos in Round 18.
“To win this with the Titans, it is amazing,” Laura said. “I was blown away to find out that I had won it. I am very, very proud to represent my people and my culture.
“To be up there to watch them wear the jersey in a game is going to be amazing.”
You can pre-order your 2020 Titans Indigenous jersey through our official partners Dynasty Sport now
