Rosella Namok’s work represents the two worlds of contemporary and traditional Indigenous art. Her images derive from representation of her Cape York Peninsula Lockhart River ‘ sandbeach’ country, the traditional design used in body paint, the ripples in the sand made by the strong tidal rush of the seawater and the lines drawn in the sand made by her and her female relatives to illustrate stories.
Frequently she uses lacquered paint or a mix of shiny and matt finish to build up layers–scraped away in sections to reveal the underlying sections using brushes, scrapers and her fingers to create highly tactile surfaces and a great depth of perspective.
The subject of, or incorporated into, of her paintings is also often the different clan groups of the region and the two moieties – Kaapay and Kuyan – that form the fundamental social organisation of Cape York clans. She is also well known for her depictions of rain falling over the sea, as well as the moon rising over the sea and the waterholes of her region.