AustLit

''You're too pretty to be Aboriginal' is a shocking statement Sasha Kutabah Sarago experienced at a young age. In her 2020 TEDx talk, 'The (de)colonising of beauty', Sasha shares how she reclaimed her femininity by redefining beauty. In challenging our modern-day concepts of beauty from a First Nations woman's perspective, she asks, does beauty liberate you, or is it time to rethink beauty? Gigorou, meaning 'beautiful' in Jirrbal - her grandmother's language - is an extension of this conversation. In this intimately fierce, funny and reflective memoir, Sasha retraces her footsteps as a beauty assistant, model and magazine editor to where beauty began over 60,000 years ago. It is through the voices of her matriarchs, the creation stories of Oolana, The First Rainbow and Majal, and the spirit of Barangaroo, Truganini and Patyegarang that her healing begins and authenticity arrives. In a time when the patriarchy obstructs women from the divine feminine, and sexism, racism and ageism violate our sovereignty, Gigorou invites us to explore the interconnectedness of Aboriginal culture to resolve our relationship with beauty. Gigorou is a coming of age for us all. What lessons can we learn from the oldest living culture in the world? Are you ready to embrace your gigorou?' (Publication summary)