MASTERS OF COUNTRY 2022
MASTERS OF COUNTRY 2022 CONTRIBUTORS Editor Kim Kruger Co-Editor Janina Harding Contributors Tom Mosby (CIAF Chair) Joann Russo (IACA President) Adam Boyd Camilla Wagstaff Francoise Lane George Dann Glenn Iseger-Pilkington Jack Wilkie-Jans Kim Kruger Lydia Miller Monica Tan Paul Jakubowski Raymond Blanco Renee Harris Sandra Delaney Simone Arnol Yessie Mosby Graphic Design Jules Steer Cover Image Dragon Flys Everywhere: Coming Into The Dry Season, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas. Recipient of the CIAF Innovation Award (sponosred by Holding Redlich), Tania Major (of Kowanyama Art & Culture Centre). Published By Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Shop 1, Lot 22, 93-105 Lake Street, Cairns, Queensland, 4870. © Copyright the authors and Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, 2022.
Dragon Flys Everywhere_ Coming Into The Dry Season, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas. Recipient of the CIAF Innovation Award (sponsored by Holding Redlich), Tania Major (of Kowanyama Art Culture Centre)
Find out more at australiacouncil.gov.au/protocols Learn more about appropriate ways of engagement with cultural material and interaction with First Nations peoples and communities. First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 5 MESSAGE FROM THE CIAF CHAIR The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) is back this year and has returned in brilliant and innovative fashion. Not only does CIAF continue to broaden the scope of arts and cultural expressions, by way of this year’s dynamic program (the brainchild of outgoing Artistic Director, Janina Harding), but CIAF is also committed to telling the stories of the contemporary Indigenous art sector across Queensland. This year, we will do so through a new initiative, our first ever selfpublished magazine. This publication is a demonstration of CIAF’s commitment to recordkeeping and cultural stewardship. It is our mob(s) telling our own stories and owning our own narratives. And in this endeavour, we are pleased to be partnering with the Indigenous Art Centre Alliance (IACA) who have long been partners with CIAF in establishing Queensland Indigenous artists — in particular, those from Tropical North Queensland — as some of the most vibrant producers of fine art. On behalf of the CIAF Board of Directors, I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading through this publication, learning more about CIAF and the incredible Indigenous art centres of Queensland, and about their artists, designers and performers. TOM MOSBY CHAIR, CIAF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Queensland Government supports to elevate First Nations arts celebrate our stories and Cairns Indigenous Art Fair drive cultural and employment outcomes CIAF 2O2O Fashion Performance Water Is Sacred, Lovegreen Photography.
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 7 MESSAGE FROM THE IACA PRESIDENT On behalf of Indigenous Arts Centre Alliance (IACA) I am thrilled by the collaboration with Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) on this new publication. The first of its kind, it is yet another milestone in First Nations business and partnerships. The union comes at the perfect time, proving to be an exciting, yet strategic endeavour— generating greater outcomes for all. It is important to start by acknowledging the many challenges faced over the last few years. COVID-19 has undoubtedly disrupted the lives of many, creating much uncertainty beyond the centres’ doors. Despite this, the strength of our people has been unwavering. Further attesting to the resilience of our artists, we have witnessed amazing work generated over this period without fail. The creativity, genius and excellence is strikingly evident in all work produced. We continue to extend our gratitude to all involved for participating in our workshops, exhibitions and programs. From a business perspective, the further adaptation of innovation and technology has proven to be an Art Centrewide success. After building on this and now intertwining with a face-to-face model, we are sure that these victories will continue. Though risks are still present, IACA and CIAF continue our mission in keeping our communities safe. Managing these challenges daily, our teams have worked together to ensure that livelihoods are still intact. Our Art Centres and communities thriving will always remain our top concern. With that, I look forward to you experiencing the great work of the artists from the Art Centres in in our Alliance, in these pages. Here’s to another exciting year for IACA to further create space for us all to lead and succeed. JOANN RUSSO PRESIDENT AND FORMER COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE INDIGENOUS ARTS CENTRE ALLIANCE (IACA) AND MANAGER OF GIRRINGUN ABORIGINAL ART CENTRE (GAAC)
DETAIL: Mayi Bugaan (Water), Edna Ambrym, 2022, Acrylic on Linen, 122cm x 91cm x 4cm, Yarrabah Art Centre
CIAF SPONSORS & PARTNERS FOUNDATION PARTNERS MAJOR PARTNERS This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland’s Backing Indigenous Arts initiative, which aims to build a stronger, more sustainable and ethical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts industry in the State. Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Limited is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, It’s arts funding and advisory body. Supported through the Australian Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program and the Indigenous Contemporary Music Program ACCOMMODATION PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS SUPPORTING PARTNERS VENUE PARTNERS Cairns - Cape York - Torres Strait CIAF ART AWARDS
10 I Am Country. As children, we listen to the heartbeat of our mother and father, the constant, rhythmic pulsing of blood, we hear in awe the swish and swirl of blood pounding through their chest—comforting, reassuring and constant—at times quickening, at times like a deep breath exhaling as if sleep were slowly descending upon us. This is a deep and knowing sound, we are entranced and mesmerised by the strength of this pulse of life. And we are enveloped in our parents arms as they draw us closer in a nurtured protective embrace knowing that this vital pulse is our eternal connection to each other. It is the first thing when we lose a parent, to lay our head on their chest to listen for that pulse of life that speaks to us in an eternal way of knowing that you are not alone, that you are a part of its beat and its rhythm. When it is no longer heard, we grieve immeasurably and yearn for its sound again. It is our life and when silent and no longer heard, our death. This loss never leaves us, it is a terrain we can no longer return to for the rest of our life, and we listen closer to our own beating hearts to fathom the terrain we have been thrust into. The Earth is My Mother. And yet, we have already been imprinted on that terrain, even if unfamiliar to us, our connection firmly embedded physically, socially, culturally, psychically, genetically, emotionally, spirituallyit is the totality of our existence—the Earth is our Mother. We are the cultural and social marking of our country, a living breathing part of its DNA, who by virtue of our birth have defined country through our materialisation and existence. We become enveloped by the expanse of sky and land and water and our breath and the beating pulse of our lives is but the breath and beating pulse of the lifeblood of country. We are so inextricably bound to our country, that we recognise it as we do the heartbeat of our mother from the time of unknowing within the womb, to a time of dawning realisation when we lay our head on the chest of our mother and father and recognise the familiarity of their heartbeat. We know we are within its embrace. In country we recognise and know ourselves. Through our generational existence, we have known how we came into being, from ancestral creation beings mapping their presence as they traversed country, leaving in their place names, stories, sounds and images, all living entities and terrains where epic events took place over time immemorial. In those same sojourns, we have travelled to remember and recall those markers to define our presence in that country and we have known ourselves by representing the Mother and all within her embrace through our country, nations, clans, totems, moieties, kin systems, and families. From vast bodies of seas and oceans with dynamic unseen currents that swirl on a scale that is overwhelming to the conscious mind, to surging rivers and still and quiet lagoons and waterways. From the microscopic world to the macroscopic world, encompassing every known lifeformevery mammal, reptile, insect, tree, flower, grass-to the elemental world of wind, fire, water, air, light, darkness, energy, and space. All this has been mapped and embodied in us. This is who we are, who we have been and who we are to become. We have borne MASTERS OF COUNTRY ESSAY WORDS: LYDIA MILLER
witness over millennia and have codified and ritualised country to define ourselves and our integral linkage as an entity formed of country, created from the very DNA of everything within that country and beyond to the universe and we have recognised our connection to all within the Mother Earth and Father Sky of our existence Masters of Our Country This knowledge and understanding of country—rendered in song, dance, story, images, and in our expression, ritual and ceremony-links, connects, and places all within this vast knowledge. It is both intimate in its detail and universal in its expanse. To hold this within the mind’s eye, at a conscious level is to have become the Master of Country. When it is expressed that ‘I am Boss for this Country’, it is not the command of conquest and subjugation to behold dominion and vanquish, it is to see, truly see, the swirling, swishing heartbeat of country, the embrace of the Mother and the Father; and become familiar with a lifeforce that is eternal, powerful and known as the very essence of existence. And in that understanding, to feel the loss and grief of time and its separation. The alienating and loneliness of the self shrinking, as it is thrust into new terrains that have yet to have definition. Each artist who expresses the changing terrain of country and the upheaval within it, knows intimately the heartbeat and pulse of their country as they know their own heartbeat and how it surges when defining this moment and memory. From the ancient journeys of ancestral beings to the clash of worlds with the arrival of the Europeans and the brutality that ensued with colonisation, to the convergence of many changing definitions of self and to the change in country itself; and the impending change in us as the Anthropocene and the Fourth Extinction descends upon us. Knowledge of country becomes our salvation for our continued existence. An unfamiliar terrain awaits us, but, we have been here before. We need to remember what country has told us of these times. Masters of Country is a testimonial of witnessing country as a living, breathing, pulsing being and what it is to be of country, drawn from its very DNA into existence and the ability to articulate in a myriad of sensory and auditory languages, how country talks to us, listens to us, and moves with us. We know ourselves by knowing country, and to endeavour to understand and translate that realisation and experience requires us to master that vast repository of held knowledge within our country. It is who we are. Always Was, Always Will Be. ESSAY Sea Turtle Initiation, Sid Bruce Shortjoe, Acrylic on Linen, 75cm x 101cm. Pormpuraaw Arts & Cultural Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik.
Janina Harding, CIAF Artistic Director 2015-2022 Image: Blueclick Photography, 2022.
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 13 2022 will be the seventh and final Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) under the artistic direction of Janina Harding. Hailing from Erub with connections to Cape York, Janina was born and raised far from her cultural roots, in Melbourne. Taking the helm was a homecoming of sorts, but spending her formative years so far from her homelands meant she had to re-introduce herself to people and Country, as she brought a fresh southerly gust to how the Art Fair would approach its vision. WORDS: KIM KRUGER A BLAK LOVE SUPREME
14 Reflecting on Janina’s contribution to CIAF, the performance indicators paint one picture – the growth in programming broadening out and strengthening from the visual to dance, music, film, fashion, conversations, and theatre; the annual increase in attendance, and the impressive growth in sales which directly benefit the artists and their communities. There are many contributing factors to this, not least Janina’s encouragement for artists to produce high quality work that collectors and institutions simply cannot resist. Another, the relationship building with curators and institutions through the Collectors and Curators Program. Both are examples of Janina’s talent for creating an ecology for artists, staff and communities to thrive and do their best work, a reflection of her immeasurable love for her people. Another picture emerges through the exhibitions and events Janina has co-curated that speak to her blak outlook and ways of doing things. An outlook formed by her ‘radical’ upbringing in the Melbourne Aboriginal community, a hub for local, national and international political organising, intertwined with maintaining cultural ties to family and homelands. Janina came to CIAF with a phenomenal set of skills and experience. Janina’s career began in community broadcasting. She travelled the country teaching radio broadcasting in Aboriginal and Islander communities, while co-presenting Not Another Koori Show in Melbourne with Destiny Deacon and Lisa Bellear. Both these pursuits set up lifelong connections and relationships across the continent. Her radio days informed her DJ styled eclectic programming. Just as she would mix jazz, country and western, metal, reggae, punk, and hip hop tracks in amongst political and cultural interviews, so too her programming of festivals reflected her wide-ranging appreciation for fresh perspectives, the deeply talented, and artists grounded in their communities and cultural integrity. Alongside radio she held many arts management and production roles – from community organisations like Koori Information Centre, Aborigines Advancement League, Koori Oral History Program, to Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne Festival, stints on Australia Council’s Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, ATSIC’s Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board, and ten years as Indigenous Arts Program Manager at City of Melbourne. Her trajectory brought new skillsets, the opportunity to reaffirm national networks, and the benefit of her unique outlook of the arts as a vehicle for cultural strength and justice, guided by philosophies of First Peoples’ community control and belonging. Or as Janina put it, 'Our culture is the backbone of this country, and as a people that never ceded sovereignty, the arts is a perfect explainer. It can expose wider Australia to the sophistications of our cultures, to reveal a resilient people that proudly burst through the layers of the colonial experience like beams of sunshine.' Instead of trying to encapsulate seven years of programming hundreds of artists and hundreds of events, a selection of exhibitions co-curated by Janina over her time with CIAF, give an insight into Janina’s creative vision for the art fair, and how she has transformed it through her love and deep respect for her people. Freedom of Expression (2017) “Art is for everyone and art is freedom.” Co-curated with Chris Stannard at the Tanks Arts Centre, Freedom of Expression showcased art by prison inmates from Queensland correctional centres in Mareeba, Maryborough, Gatton, and Rockhampton. The exhibition highlighted the ‘continuing cultural expression and connection to country, and seeks to change public perception on what constitutes an artist by re-defining the public’s view on prison art.’ Captain Cook Crowned With His Broken Boar, Mylene Jolroyd, Acrylic on Linen, 76cm x 76cm, Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik, 2020.
The critical mass of works, inundated the viewer with talented artists who had deep ideas to express. For some it was about articulating their situation, while others found creative expression for the first time. Most striking was the cultural power emanating from many of the works – a reminder of how much embodied cultural knowledge is locked away in ‘facilities’, away from Country. Aside from the strong artistic and cultural expression, the project brought to light different ways of doing and seeing things. For Janina, it had ‘the potential to create a rehabilitation and economic benefit to inmates for life beyond prison’. She wanted to challenge ideas of what creates an artist while making CIAF accessible and inclusive to the most marginalised. This included sharing outcomes with the artists with a documentary as a record (a different kind) of their work. Crucially, as Janina said, ‘I think putting this project on has been liberating for them, even though they are incarcerated.’ While all the potential justice outcomes raised are possible, Janina’s vision to bring to light the talent and knowledge separated from communities, and to know art as a place of freedom, sovereignty for some, blak love for others, was shared with the artists as they in turn shared their ideas of freedom with CIAF audiences. Seeking Permission To Go Into Town, Daisy Hamlot, Acrylic on Canvas, 59.5cm x 70cm, Hopevale Arts & Cultural Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik, 2021.
16 North by East West (2018) Drawing on her continent-wide connections, Janina noticed the pearl shell carving from two distinct regions and wondered about the possibilities resulting from a cultural exchange. North by East West at Cairns Art Gallery, co-curated with Teho Ropeyarn, brought Bard brothers, Garry Sibosado and Darrell Sibosado, master riji carvers from Lombadina, on the Far North coast of Western Australia, into cultural exchange with Torres Strait Islander carvers Samuel Savage (Erub) and Joel Sam (Sabai). They found cultural practices in common, the shells carved to honour totems, clan markings and used for adornment in ceremonies, speaking of the collective connection to the land and sea and everything within it. The exhibition conveyed Janina’s deep appreciation of cultural knowledge and how it can be reinvigorated through exchange with likeminded cultural practitioners from other cultures. For her, the '… exchange and collaboration between artists in the East and West also revealed, or perhaps just reinforced what we as Sovereign Peoples’ need to remind ourselves, that an imported culture that attempts to dominate our world has no place in determining our connection. North by East West continues a journey, where physical distance is irrelevant, because our cultures are resolute and are the intangible guides of our being.' Undercurrents — Cook (2020) While Australia celebrated the 250 years since Cook’s journey of ‘discovery’ (unceremoniously scuppered by the pandemic), First Peoples responded to the written colonial history, with the powerful oral tradition. Co-curated with curator and writer Hetti Perkins, the exhibition drew from art centres and artists who had experienced Cook’s party, and told their side of the story. The exhibition notes stated, ‘Artists survey the impact of Cook and what he represents to First Peoples of Queensland to reveal the blak resilience of sovereign nations. Undercurrents is a platform for truth-telling, from an individual, family, community or First Peoples’ world view.’ Again, reflecting on the love for her people, this exhibition recalls Janina’s roots in radio, practiced with the ethos of giving voice to the unheard and bringing the truth to light in the pursuit of justice. Celebrating the power and knowledge in oral history, as opposed to what is written by outsiders, and pushed as the national narrative, the works challenged the national mythmaking with truth- telling. Where's Your Permit? (2021) In the midst of a global pandemic, when ‘sovereign citizens’ were acting out at state borders at the loss of their individual freedom of movement (for the collective benefit of our public health), First Peoples recalled the oppressive systems that controlled their families' lives in Queensland for the benefit of settler colonialism. Co-curated with artist and designer Francoise Lane, Where’s Your Permit? brought to light Elder and descendant artists’ responses to the treatment of First Peoples under the notorious The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897. Janina said of the exhibition, ‘For many of our Elders, it is not the first time they have lived with restrictions on movement, a heavy past marred by dislocation, forced off Country and into confinement from the early 1800s. Not surprisingly, we are a resilient people.’ At the opening, live-streamed due to the pandemic, Yidinji loreman Gudjugudju shared his family’s experiences of living under the Act. The family would need a permit to enter Cairns, on their own country. His moving testimony brought into sharp relief the impact of hearing him speak on this country, country denied access to, without a permit. How this Act had disrupted culture, land and people. Janina too shared the impact of living under the Act on her family. The deaths of five family members under the watch of the Chief Protector, how a white bureaucrat decided her family were Torres Strait Islander and wiped out their Aboriginality with a stroke of a pen. Her message is that, our families survived this, and now it’s time to ‘disrupt back’. "Our culture is the backbone of this country, and as a people that never ceded sovereignty, the arts is a perfect explainer. It can expose wider Australia to the sophistications of our cultures, to reveal a resilient people that proudly burst through the layers of the colonial experience like beams of sunshine.”
CIAF Fashion Story (2022) In 2022 Janina leaves us with a retrospective look at CIAF’s fashion performances. Co-curated with Francoise Lane, it takes a look at the grassroots beginnings of the local fashion scene through to the increasing international appetite for First Peoples’ wearable art. Co-curating speaks to Janina’s collective practice, an Indigenous way of not working in isolation, and with a mix of curators, either firmly established, with a niche interest or starting to make a name for themselves, Janina’s practice here is firmly positioned in a continuum of passing knowledge and skills from one generation to the next. Whether it’s making CIAF accessible to the most marginalised in Freedom of Expression, celebrating the cultural power of trailblazers like Dr Thancoupie Gloria Fletcher James AO, platforming oral history that challenges the national narrative of ‘Australia’s’ foundational myth or truth-telling about the harsh realities of living under the Act in Queensland, what shines through is Janina Harding’s love for blak people and blak Country. A blak love supreme. Punishment, Wanda Gibson, Acrylic on Canvas, 78cm x 57.5cm, Hopevale Arts & Cultural Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik, 2021.
Agnes Kohler, Love Rocks, 2020. 122 x 102cm. Acrylic on Belgian Linen. Photograph courtesty: MIART
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 19 You can’t help but be drawn in when looking at the vibrant, bold paintings of Mornington Island-based painter Agnes Kohler. Each work is a celebration of colour and Country, with repeating themes and patterns effortlessly executed by her deft hand. Agnes Kohler is a master painter, hailing from Mornington Island, part of the largest in a cluster of 22 islands in the turquoise seas of the Gulf of Carpentaria off Queensland. The Lardil people are recognised as the Traditional Owners of Mornington Island, having occupied these lands for more than 8000 years. Mornington Island holds a rich cultural history passed down from generation to generation through a diverse and dynamic array of songlines, stories, dance, and Aboriginal Lore. Today, the only permanent community on the islands is Gununa, hosting a population of around 1200 people. Agnes is a Kaidildt woman, born and living on Gununa. Her Country is Dukawalne on Bentinck Island. Agnes tells the story of growing up on the Island: 'I was born soon after my people crossed over to Mornington Island. In those days the Lardil mob foster or adopt us as their family. The Jacobs adopted me and my sister Gay. In the 1960s I was sent out to work on the mainland. I worked at Julia Creek. As I raised my family, I also adopted a few more children. Now I am surrounded by my family.' Agnes paints out of Mornington Island Art, an art centre with a longheld history dating back to the early 1970s. Mornington Island artists are deeply connected to their land and culture, and it has a profound influence on their art. The artists experiment with different forms of media and techniques with confidence and skill; exploring their culture, dance and language through contemporary practice. 'I come to the Art Centre so I can paint with my family and talk about the old times and the new times too,' says Agnes. 'Sometimes I paint a bit at home too.' Agnes came to her art practice a little later in life. 'I used to muck around scribbling, drawing little houses with my kids,' she says. 'My children tell me to join the old people here at the Art Centre, save me from worrying, take my mind off things. It’s also good to be alongside family members at the Art Centre working, creating and learning together.' Much of Agnes’ practice has centred around the differently coloured rocks found strewn across Bentinck Island. 'In our Kayardild language we call them Mirraa (pretty) Kamarra (rocks),' says Agnes. Other common motifs include depictions of her Grandmother’s Country, as well as the mud shells, saltpans and marine life found around her island home. 'I paint about things I remember, simple things that are beautiful,' says Agnes. 'That helps me remember them better and shows other people about my Country. Usually I paint on linen because [Mi Art Centre Manager] John says this is the best and what professional artists should use. I have been doing a lot of drawing with coloured pencils, too.' For Agnes, art is now a way of life. An opportunity to share her stories and soothe her soul. 'My art is important because it helps me tell stories to the young ones, she says. 'It helps me be busy and not worry so much about things.' This article first featured in DAAF Yarns Blog. Read more on the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation blog: www.daaf. com.au/celebrate-colour-and-country AGNES KOHLER ARTIST PROFILE WORDS: CAMILLA WAGSTAFF
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 21 In preparation of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) 2022, artists from Bana Yirriji Art Centre studied local native trees and plants-responding to this year's theme: Masters of Country. In particular, they researched plants that were used for medicine in the old days and that are still in use today. DRAWING INSPIRATION Bana Yirriji Art Centre in Wujal Wujal, represents artists from the Yalanji, Nyungkul and Jalunji clan groups. The artists have been developing artistic concepts of native plant medicines and considering what knowledge of particular plants or trees to incorporate into their current works. The Bana Yirriji artists undertook a day of study and drawing in nature. First, they visited Mulbabidgee, (Keating’s Lagoon), a forty-seven hectare wetland and special place to the Waymbuurr people, to study and take images of the swamp habitat. Mulbabidgee has been a source of native medicinal plants for thousands of years. Artist, Anne Nunn, studied the different grasses and water lilies growing around the area for her latest series of paintings on birds in grasslands. The artists also visited the Cooktown Botanical Gardens and sketched native plants together. There were keen discussions about when the Wattle tree (Yarun) flowers; this indicates that the mullet are in the river and ready to be caught. And when the Flame tree (Ngakun) flowers, the scrub hens egg is ready to find and collect. The trip finished with a visit to the Botanic Gardens gallery exhibiting the works of botanist and artist, Vera Scarth-Johnson, which featured her paintings of orchids. Inspired by their trip, their studies and sketches, the artists of Bana Yirriji Art Centre refreshed their knowledge of the versatility and inter-relationship of plants with the animals, environment and people. The works created from this are certain to inspire. BANA YIRRIJI ARTS CENTRE WORDS: GEORGE DANN
ART THEMED VOYAGES TORRES STRAIT, CAPE YORK & ARNHEM LAND join us AS WE SHARE OUR UNIQUELY deep connections with land, people & nature Sailing March and October 2022 to 2024 call 1800 079 545 visit coralexpeditions.com email [email protected] Join Coral Expeditions on a small ship adventure to explore the remote coastlines to the tip of Cape York, the mysterious Torres Strait Islands & Arnhem Land. Enjoy a personal encounter with the nature, art and culture of the region, with expert guides and warm Australian hospitality. Torres Strait & Cape York | Departs Cairns & Horn Island | 10 Nights | Oct 2022 and 2024 Cape York & Arnhem Land | Cairns – Darwin | 11 Nights | March 2023 and 2024 Cape York & Arnhem Land – Art Themed | Darwin – Cairns | 11 Nights | Oct 2022, 2023 and 2024 BOOK ONLINE To receive complimentary Deposit Protection Proud partner of
ABOVE: Bana Yirriji artist Sonya Creek exploring wetlands and birdlife. BELOW: Keating's Lagoong. Photographs courtesy: Bana Yirriji Art Centre.
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 25 Artist Leigh Namponan is regarded as one of the most renowned contemporary artists from Aurukun, as evidenced in his fearless use of colour and form. LEIGH NAMPONAN Leigh Namponan is a master painter and an exceptional sculptor. For this year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), Leigh has produced a large camp dog (or, Ku) sculpture titled Eechan, the name being associated with a Storyplace on his traditional Country. The large camp dog is alive with natural movement and the ochre markings that Leigh has painted, depicts the Story Place at Eechan. Leigh was born in 1965 in Cairns and raised in Aurukun. He spent most of his childhood at an outstation south of Aurukun, on his family’s Country. ARTIST PROFILE Leigh is the second eldest of eight children, born to Angus Namponan and Chrissie Peemuggina. His father Angus was a well-known bush artist and Loreman who taught Leigh and his brothers the traditions and ceremonies associated with their clan. Leigh Namponan belongs to the Apalech Ceremonial Group from his father’s Country at Warpang, just inland from Cape Keerweer. His languages are Wik-Alkan (father’s side) and WikNgathan (mother’s side). WORDS: GEORGE DANN
JARRAMALI ROCK ART TOURS, CAIRNS & GREAT BARRIER REEF FIND YOURS AT QUEENSLAND.COM A BEAUTIFUL WAY T O BE DAYS THIS like
Leigh Namponan making his camp dog. Photograph courtesy: Wik and Kugu Art Centre.
Lorna Shaun, Totems, Engobe and Sgraffito, on clay, 2022 Photograph courtesy: Yalanji Arts
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 29 Emerging ceramicist Lorna Shaun explores her totems to reveal potent spiritual messages in her latest works. LORNA SHAUN Lorna Shuan has been a member of Yalanji Arts for many years, however, only recently has she discovered pottery, a medium offering a new way to share her stories and illustrations. Born in 1965, Lorna is a traditional custodian for the Kubirri Warra area, and grew up in the Mossman Gorge community with her family. In 2008 she completed her studies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts. Yalanji Arts recently embarked on a new artistic skills development program, which among others, provided professional support to ceramic artists three days a week throughout the year. They began arts development with facilitator Alan Terrell who is a Port Douglas based ceramic artist. The centre has since kept up the momentum in exploring ceramics and in particular Lorna Shuan has found an affinity with the medium. Lorna created a regular art practice, which allowed her to explore and develop her artistic style and techniques using a variety of different clay bodies. Lorna has been using clay to tell stories about her totems, culturally significant ancestral beings to her family. Lorna says of her inspiration, 'The rainforest is a big part of my world, it gives me inspiration in my painting. Mostly I enjoy painting birds. They represent my totems and spiritual messages and remind me of my family. The Cockatoo and Cassowary are my totems. The Kuranji Cassowary is the Madja Boss. When I paint Kuranji I have a connection to the rainforest. He looks after the land, cultivating the land and has a lovely natural colour. He is the leader of all birds in the rainforest. Parrot’s rainbow colours make me feel happy and think about family that have passed. My artworks are connected with traditional ways, connected to the ancestors and my family, especially my grandmother and my grandfather, they give me life and strength'. Lorna has explored the techniques of Engobe and Sgrafitto that allows her to engrave her designs on the ceramics. She has been making pinch pots, coolamons, tiles, and vessels. The works are then fired at a low-heat and mid-heat kiln temperature to achieve specific colour palettes and to highlight the sgraffito details. ARTIST PROFILE WORDS: GEORGE DANN
Photograph supplied, courtesy of Coreen Reading
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 31 "When we paint what we have, we are also painting what we have lost." THE VIBRANT ART OF KAIADILT To the Kaiadilt people, Dulkawagned ('land for all') is their island home, fringed with tidal sand flats, mangroves and azure waters. But on maps of Australia the island – perched off the coast of Far North-West Queensland in the Gulf of Carpentaria – is called Bentinck Island. Kaiadilt woman, Coreen Reading, says wryly that the colonial renaming of the island honoured 'some random governor in Madras [India]'. The 43-year-old nurse lives in the Burdekin, between Bindal and Juru country, but comes from the Loogatha family, part of Rukuthinguthi's of the Kaiadilt people. Having grown up on Mornington Island, Reading says she must also pay homage to the Lardil people, with their families having 'connected, lived with, and grown together'. In 2005, the island gained greater prominence when Kaiadilt artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori shot to fame. Despite only picking up the paintbrush while in her 80s, Gabori’s bold, abstracted paintings of her home island quickly attracted the attention of the contemporary art world and accolades followed. Born around 1924, Gabori’s early life was almost wholly without colonial influence. She and her family drank the cool, fresh water that sprang from dug holes, and ate the island’s teeming mullet and dugong. But much like Reading’s grandparents (who did not speak English, only Kayardild) and the rest of the island inhabitants, European settlement eventually entered her life to devastating effect. Reading recalls a story told to her when she was just a young girl from her grandmother and other elders. 'They spoke of seeing white people for the first time, thinking that they were the spirits of their families that had passed. The men ran towards them with great joy, happy to see their long lost families. Only the white men fired upon them, shooting them dead on the beach. 'Imagine that? Running with great joy, only to be literally stopped dead in your tracks.' Reading says the greatest evil to unfold on her people was the Mackenzie massacre of 1918, named after the brutal European settler who led a group of men to commit a series of atrocities on the island. 'There are no words to describe the evil murders that took place during this period. My people were shot, raped and drowned to near extinction. You can still feel the pain and fear when my mothers speak Mackenzie's name.' Although the islanders are often described as having been one of the country’s most isolated populations, Reading says European colonialists were not the first interaction her people had with outsiders. 'Our people speak of historic interactions with other brown-skinned individuals, mostly the Macasssans. There are stories of trade and relationships that existed long before the Europeans arrived, with the swapping of tools, plants and even individuals travelling between the two countries, and relationships and children resulting from those connections. Those ties began to unravel when the Europeans arrived.' Reading says between 1946 and 1948, Presbyterian missionaries removed all her people from their homelands, placing them on Mornington Island, Lardil land. 'Their childhood stories are riddled with beatings, humiliation, assault, and abuse; enough to make your heart wrench out painful, bloody tears of its own.' She has long been awed by the way in which her mothers and uncles speak of this period in a very matter-of-fact tone, with neither malice nor angst. Perhaps in an effort to insulate the listener from their immense trauma, Reading says her elders soften their stories with giggles and smiles. 'They say that laughter can actually be a stress WORDS: MONICA TAN
32 response. Our people have been covering their cries with laughter for so long that it's become somewhat of a family trait. Especially when we are together; when we cry, we laugh. And when we sob, we giggle.' There was no greater example of such resilience than Reading’s mother. Olive Loogatha was partly raised on a mission in Aurukun, separated from her parents and family that loved her. Reading says after growing up in such a 'skewed, dormitory, religious-dominated world', her mother ended up on the mainland 'to essentially be enslaved by station owners'. Despite the restrictions of her upbringing, Reading says Olive’s mind and soul 'knew no bounds'. Her mother eventually worked in health, education, and for many years in land rights. She died in a tragic plane crash in 1999 en route to a land council meeting, fighting to the end for the Wellesley Islands Sea claim on behalf of her people. 'My mother wanted her people to have their country and sea back, and for this, she gave the greatest sacrifice.' It is from her mother that Reading says she learned 'to love and to forgive, to be passionate, but know humility, to always contribute back to society, advocate for those less fortunate, and always stand up against injustices. 'But most of all, she taught me to know who I am and where I come from. My mother is my biggest influence. Olive Loogatha would be the greatest woman that I have ever known, and ever will know.' Reading was last at Dulkawagned in 2020, joined by one of her big sisters, two of her mothers, a brother, uncle, nephews, and cousins. When asked the purpose for returning, she says the main thing was 'to feel'. 'That may sound odd, but I think those who are connected to Country know what I'm talking about. I've heard non-Indigenous people speak of 'grounding'. That's kind of what I did. I looked, but not so much with my eyes, than with my heart. I let my body – from my hair to my toes – truly feel my country. My spirit or soul or being felt home. There is no greater relief, feeling or sensation than being on soil and sand that your spirit knows and belongs to.' Reading says even when she is not present on her Country, she is always committed to her island home and the preservation of its stories. 'Most of our traditional stories are moral learnings, masterfully connecting kin and country for future generations to digest.' She says she never wants her children to lose their connection to Dulkawanged but also sees the importance of providing them with life’s greatest opportunities as afforded by the mainland. 'For this reason, I encourage their connection through stories, paintings and dance. For my family members back home on Mornington Island, I truly hope that they are able to maintain that physical connection to our country in a manner that is as respectful and as humble as our people have always been.' While the great artist Sally Gabori died in 2015, her influence can be seen in the enduring art practice of many Kaiadilt women, Reading included. 'I paint Kaiadilt stories, my stories from my Country – land and sea. Like my Jumba Sally, other Jumbas (grandfather's sisters), Loogatha mothers, Gabori sisters, and other female relatives. I am trying to demonstrate the intensity and vibrancy of our love for our people and our country.' She is dedicated to strengthening the community’s use of traditional languages and uses them to title her paintings. 'Last September I left Mornington Island after almost three years working with the local school to help introduce the Lardil, Kaiadilt and Yangkaal languages of the Wellesley island groups, into the school curriculum. The school’s program is now going very strong with language and culture both now an integral part of the curriculum.' Coreen Reading hopes that others can sense from the Kaiadilt art tradition, a passion and love for their people and where they come from. 'It is strong, it is bright and it is bold, but it is also emotionally intense, and sometimes overwhelming. I often smile when I paint, but mostly I cry. When we paint what we have, we are also painting what we have lost.' "I looked, but not so much with my eyes, than with my heart. I let my body – from my hair to my toes – truly feel my country. My spirit or soul or being felt home. There is no greater relief, feeling or sensation than being on soil and sand that your spirit knows and belongs to.” “I paint Kaiadilt stories, my stories from my Country – land and sea. Like my Jumba Sally, other Jumbas (grandfather's sisters), Loogatha mothers, Gabori sisters, and other female relatives. I am trying to demonstrate the intensity and vibrancy of our love for our people and our Country.”
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 33 Images courtesy of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2017
DETAIL: Tee'wiith yot-a!, Keith Wikmunea, 2022, Mixed Media, Wik & Kugu Arts Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik. BIG SCULPTURE SHOWCASE
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 35 “Propa big” is a term used in Aboriginal English to describe anything that is larger than its original state. It is often expressed through facial gestures, humour, and an accent. The term is widely expressed in First Peoples’ vocabulary throughout Australia. In this case, “propa big” is a fitting description for the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s (CIAF) ambitious project, Big Sculpture Showcase, led by CIAF’s Creative Team: Artistic Director, Janina Harding; Curatorial Associate, Teho Ropeyarn; Exhibitions Manager, India Collins; and leading First Nations artist, Tony Albert. WORDS: TEHO ROPEYARN
Kerker Nog (Seasonal Masks), 2022, Toby Cedar. Photograph by Michael Marzik
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 37 From a state-wide call-out, the team selected seventeen design concepts by some of Queensland’s exciting emerging and established artists and collaborators from Queensland for commission. Over the years large sculptures have featured at CIAF with ghostnet sculptures becoming symbolic of the Fair at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal and now at its new home at Cairns Convention Centre. Alick Tipoti’s large ceremonial masks made a stunning appearance in 2011; Girringun’s tall, ghostly Bagu figures created excitement for oversized works; and the notable 2014 exhibition, Solid! Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture curated by Bruce McClean, played a leading role in celebrating the strength of sculptural art, craft and design from Queensland First Nations artists. It wasn’t until 2021, through Arts Queensland’s Arts and Cultural Recovery Package – Spaces and Places that CIAF was able to focus on large sculptures across the spectrum, showcasing seventeen design creatives this year. The talents presenting large-scale works include: Shirley Macnamara, Brian Robinson, Simone Arnol, Pormpuraaw Art Centre collaboration between Michael Norman, Alma Norman, Mavis Benjamin, and Marlene Norman; Toby Cedar, Hans Ahwang, Girringun Art Centre collaboration between Phillip Denham, Nancy Beeron, Theresa Beeron, Daniel Beeron, Nephi Denham, and Jean Thaiday; Francoise Lane, David Jones, Delissa Walker, Peter Morrison, Rhonda Woolla, Ian Waldron, and Wik & Kugu Art Centre collaborators Keith Wikmunea and Vernon Marbendinar. With no set parameters, artists were left to their creative abilities to develop a concept based on their current practice or explore new ideas through forms and materials. The selection of artists and collaborators for the showcase echoes the incredible diversity within First Nations artistic practices, cultures and lived experiences throughout Queensland. A continual point of reference for First Nations artists is responding imaginatively to oral storytelling of times past. Pormpuraaw artists Michael Norman’s Crocodile Spirit Man, and trio Mavis Benjamin, Alma Norman and Marlene Norman’s Wang Wik (Hairy Man); and Girringun Art Centre artists Phillip Denham, Nancy Beeron, Theresa Beeron, Daniel Beeron, Nephi Denham and Jean Thaiday’s, Jubar (Barramundi Story) draw inspiration from their people’s traditional culture, spiritual science and the formation of land and water. Commercial fishing drift nets known as ghostnets are central in the making of large extensive works from Pormpuraaw whose profile continues to grow as artists exhibit work internationally. The shapeshifting work of Michael Norman, constructed of ghostnet rope, evokes the spiritual scientific synergy between human and animal — an ancestral relationship and belief system that is intrinsic to lore and knowledge holders and their connection to the physical, natural, and spiritual worlds. Also revelling in cultural practices and techniques are practices and techniques are the works of Rhonda Woolla, Pak PeKAN (in bloom), Shirley Macnamara, Through the Gidgea, Over the Spinifex Ridges and Black Soil Plains, Delissa Walker, Small Beginnings, Toby Cedar, Keker Nog (seasonal masks) and Ian Waldron, Totemic Forest. These works show the artists’ extensive knowledge and direct association to Country where their creative practices reflect the complexities of the environment in which they connect. Integral to their works are ancestral techniques both of traditional and contemporary aesthetics that utilise natural and modern materials to affirm the connection between culture, materiality, and contemporary art. The works of Brian Robinson, Bank’s Bounty: Exotic Cargo, Simone Arnol, Page 47 – Tindale Genealogical Collection, and David Jones, Pull the pin interrogate early Australian history of collecting, examining, and in the process, removing First Nations people’s physical, natural and spiritual identity by placing information within collecting institutions in Australia and across the globe. Multitudes of First Peoples’ material, in the form of data, hold some of the early information on Australia’s flora and fauna, First Peoples’ identity, and material culture. Brian Robinson recreates specimens of botany collected by Joseph Banks by revealing, releasing, and exposing a variety of handcrafted blooms through an open cargo like crate. Robinson’s, Arnol’s and Jones’ works ultimately attempt to deconstruct the white walls of the institutions in which First Nations material is kept. For artists in community, their social life is framed by the connection with family and the environment and inspiration they obtain from lived experiences. In areas that are miles away from the convenience of the city, artists living remotely tend to be resourceful with found and recycled materials and those that can be sourced from Country.
38 Bank's Bounty Exotic Cargo, 2022, Brian Robinson. Photograph by Michael Marzik
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 39 days are spent outdoors. Peter’s transition to the new medium of acrylic engraving, challenges the limitations of mediums used by First Nations artists and places his work in a new light. This extraordinary showcase, presenting seventeen design concepts from some 16 artists provides a new platform for creative works, a dynamic shift into conceptual experiments and ambitious narratives for artists from Queensland. It was evident throughout the course of the project that artists were passionate about experimenting and exploring ‘propa big’ ideas that shape our diverse cultures and lived experiences. Given the shift to a very large world class venue, the Cairns Convention Centre, the project is timely in the sense that these large works can be presented as part of the grand opening of CIAF in its new home and share the same space and platform alongside the Art Fair and Art Market as a new addition to the program. Big Sculpture Showcase is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland as part of the Arts and Cultural Recovery Package – Spaces and Places. The Keith Wikmunea and Vernon Marbendinar installation, Panch Pak (tree of birds) and Ku (dog), Hans Ahwang’s, Untitled, uses found and sourced materials. The Panch Pak (tree of birds) is created out of soft milkwood tree that forms one part of the installation of sculptures by Wik & Kugu artists. In response to her island heritage from afar, Meriam and Kaurareg artist, interior designer and arts worker, Francoise Lane, draws inspiration from family and island life on Kirriri in Zenadth Kes (Hammond Island, Torres Strait). Francoise’s ghostnet sculpture, Koskir Mekik Atami (woman fishing gathering), takes form of a relative, in a typical island fashion dress casting net off the jetty for fish. The sculpture stands over two metres in height with the net partially thrown overhead creates a striking stance in action. This form is adorned with motifs stitched out of ghostnet that reflects memories of life back home. Peter Morrison’s work, Untitled is a major shift in the artist’s current practice replacing pencil drawing with acrylic imaging. Peter’s original pencil drawings of mangroves and gently moving fish life are reminiscent of experiences in regional communities where Photograph by Paul Furse FrontRow Foto 2022
Philomena Yeatman of Yarrabah Art Centre. Photograph by Simone Arnol
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 41 Yarrabah is an Indigenous community with a population of up to 3000 people, situated on the coast, 60 kilometres drive south of Cairns, surrounded by tropical native bushland and mountain ranges. There, the Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct provides studio space, materials and a range of art and crafts workshops for local community artists. Famed for the production of fine ceramics, textiles and prints, The Yarrabah Art Centre also manages a museum of traditional and historic Indigenous history, artefacts, and literature, forming the overall Cultural Precinct. Simone Arnol, the Yarrabah Art Centre Manager spoke of the great work the Centre does, saying ‘we are empowering our people to develop and share their culture, knowledge and skills to keep and hold our culture sacred’. In creating works in 2022, ‘Country is our Master’ is the Centre’s response to this year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair theme: Masters of Country. ‘Our culture has a strong connection with country, we understand this of our great teacher. We listen to the messages that whisper through every plant, animal, and tree. Our culture has held strong since time immemorial by listening to these whispers’, says Arnol. Inspired by a 110-year-old bicornual basket, which Yarrabah safely treasures in the Menmuny Museum, the artists of Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct draw from the basket’s sacred geometry. The rituals, ceremonies, and the stories this basket would have witnessed over time, asks them to consider: How many journeys was it used for? How many meals did this basket provide for? The basket carries a deep message from the Old People— one of love, resistance, strength, culture, and knowledge. All of which are integral to life; the basket is symbolic of the artists’ worldview, as ‘Country is our Master’. All these questions and deep messages are transformed by the multidisciplined artists in ceramic forms by using clay from Yarrabah, textiles, and fashion, etching and acrylic on canvas. COUNTRY IS OUR MASTER YARRABAH ARTS CENTRE WORDS: SIMONE ARNOL
Salt Water Murris Aboriginal Art Gallery (SWM) is a not-for-profit organisation based at Gumpi (Dunwich) on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). Minjerribah is off the coast of Brisbane in South-East Queensland and is 37km long and 11km wide. The members of SWM are the Traditional Custodians of Quandamooka Country from the Nunagal, Ngugi and the Goenbal Clans. CONTINUOUS CONNECTION WORDS: DR SANDRA DELANEY
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 43 Traditional custodians of the Quandamooka region have an uninterrupted history of living on Minjerribah that dates back thousands of years. SWM artists are the storytellers of their people, relating individual and collective memories through their artistic works and dance performances. Quandamooka art permeates a distinctive place within the Redlands Coast and in South-East Queensland, both as a site for articulating cultural resistance and resurgence. Against colonial erasure, Quandamooka art marks the space of a returned and enduring presence. First and foremost, SWM seeks to engage, enthuse and make meaningful connections with fellow residents of Quandamooka Country and the wider community. Beyond the Quandamooka community, SWM hopes to attract the growing number of tourists and visitors to the Redlands Coast region, while also seeking a national and international audience for South-East Queensland arts projects. The gallery also provides an ongoing opportunity for the sale of products, and just as importantly, will continue to provide a physical space for exchange of cultural and artistic knowledge and practice. The high level of interest (and sales) in SWM workshops and merchandise items provides real economic outcomes for many SWM artists. Since incorporation in 2007, the reputation of individual artists and Saltwater Murris Quandamooka collectively has grown. The start-up and maintenance of a functioning art gallery and workshop space on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) has been an achievement in itself. The organisation is now generally recognised for its stewardship of the unique artistic vision from ‘yuluburriba’, the people of the sand and the sea of Quandamooka Country. SWM supports a diverse range of arts and cultural activities and works in partnership with a range of organisations to support artistic creativity and growth. Partnerships have included local Aboriginal organisations, local government, peak arts bodies and individual professional artists. The role language plays Elders talk about the importance of learning Jandai language. The journey of reconnecting with language and participating in practices of decolonisation can be deeply rewarding and can add to a sense of self-determination. Artists’ use of visual Quandamooka stories and language has highlighted the success of employing cultural practices within SWM which in turn has contributed to individual and community language reclamation on Country. Children’s art and language workshops have also produced language resources which has also served to document and preserve Jandai language for the benefit of youth and future generations. Keeping Culture Strong Quandamooka art and culture is prevalent on Minjerribah and making art and sharing culture is part of daily practices on Country. Quandamooka artists imbue their artistic productions with local cultural and moral beliefs, using Quandamooka frameworks to their visual stories that have a historical tradition and connection to Quandamooka lands and seas. Artists’ visual stories has enabled the SWM artists to explore their notions of family, community histories, place and language through creative practices. The creative visual stories offers a tool for producing traditional, local knowledge in an innovative and culturally-relevant way. Maintaining uniqueness through language and culture is regarded as both healing and constitutive of identity. SWM artists use various mediums to present their art, ranging from t-shirts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, and publications. However, the biggest impact regarding the promotion and preservation of art, culture and language has been through signage, murals and installations highly visible throughout Quandamooka Country. The contribution of SWM visible artistic landmarks to tourists and visitors demonstrates the Quandamooka People’s ongoing presence, resistance and resilience on our Country. Dr. Sandra Delaney is the Chairperson of Saltwater Murris Quandamooka Aboriginal Art Gallery and is also involved in language reclamation on Quandamooka Country. SALT WATER MURRIS QUANDAMOOKA INC.
ABOVE AND BELOW: Yalanji artists Vanessa Cannon, Lorna Shuan and Karen Shuan works at Silky Oaks Lodge. Photograph by Silky Oaks Lodge
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 45 Yalanji Arts engaged with Silky Oaks Lodge on a commission of local Kuku Yalanji artworks for the luxury bolthole perched above the Mossman River in the Daintree Rainforest. SILKY OAK LODGE YALANJI CERAMICS Yalanji Arts, located in Mossman Gorge Aboriginal Community, on the border of the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park, nurtures and develops artists to showcase culture and generate individual and community growth. With Silky Oaks Lodge under the new ownership of Baillie Lodges, their Creative Director Hayley Baillie sought the connection with Yalanji Arts as she and her team planned the new designs for luxury rainforest escape. 'We’re very proud of the mutually beneficial partnership we’ve formed with the First Nations artists at Yalanji Arts. It’s our aim to offer a real sense of this magnificent location for our guests. The beautiful ceramics from Yalanji Arts are just ideal for this purpose, created specially by artists in the Kuku Yalanji community with which we share the banks of the Mossman River,' Mrs Baillie said. The Yalanji Arts artists involved in the initial project were Vanessa Cannon, Lorna Shuan and Karen Shuan. The commission is made up of fifty-five circular ceramic tiles of varying size, fifteen of which have a delicately woven edge. Fortyfive of the tiles are now placed along the reception wall, creating a visually impactful entrance and compelling first impression for arriving guests. The tiles depict local animals and plants from the Daintree Rainforest and surrounds and correspond to the names of the guest suites. These tiles are shown together as one continuous work reaching along the wall. The installation invites guests to contemplate the works, find their own suite’s tile and enquire about their meaning and source. An additional ten tiles are used in other guest areas around Silky Oaks Lodge. The tiles are made from both refined and coarse earthenware with engobe and sgraffito. Engobe is a liquid clay that is brushed on the surface. Sgraffito is a form of mark making whereby the artists scratch through a surface to reveal a lower layer of clay. 'The Yalanji artworks take pride of place in our reception area where guests are welcomed to the lodge and to Mossman Gorge. The guest suites are each named after local fauna, and we asked the artists to carry this theme as the features of the tiles,' Mrs Baillie said. 'It was our great pleasure and privilege to personally meet the artists who created the tiles and to connect with them in the studio. This personal connection made the collaboration an even more special and enjoyable process.' Guests at Silky Oaks Lodge can now appreciate a Kuku Yalanji sense of place through the works of the artists. WORDS: GEORGE DAN
Yalsak (Island Comb), Lara Fuiji, 2022, Natural earth pigments, galyuwin (bloodwood sap) and synthetic fixative on canvas, 120cm x 91cm, Badu Art Centre. Photograph by Michael Marzik. This piece of art depicts the Yalsak (Island Comb) which is a very strong comb hand-carved from the wood of a Wongai tree (a wild plum that grows wild throughout the islands of the Torres Straits). The crafts men who made the Yalsak had great carving skills and techniques, they used the Akul shell (Mud Clam)
WWW.CIAF.COM.AU 47 5 TIPS FOR BUYING NETWORKING CIAF is the prime-time for networking in Cairns, as people come from all over Queensland, the country and the world! Art is a great conversation-starter, where you can compare notes and talk about what you like and hear about other artists. TIME CIAF has about 450 works on show, so take your time—it is open for four days. Make a note of which artists sold out, they have been bought by serious collectors or institutions. This information is integral to understanding the market as an emerging collector or first-time buyer. SET A BUDGET Know what you are willing to spend and be prepared to spend a little extra if you find a piece that you fall in love with which is slightly out of your price range. When choosing a piece, work out if it will require framing or if it is ready to hang. The price of framing can add to the overall cost. MEET THE ARTIST OR GALLERIST The Art Fair is an opportunity for the buyer to meet artists or their representative directly. Scheduled artist talks occur over the course of the art fair. Opportunity for buyers to gain a deeper understanding of artistic process, cultural knowledge and lived experiences and the meaning behind each piece. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the art, like the story behind the art or what inspired the artist.There is nothing more gratifying than purchasing a work that you love especially after hearing about the story behind it. RESEARCH Decide if you are buying work you love or as an investment. If it’s an investment then research will help you determine what you choose. Cairns Indigenous ARt Fair (CIAF) profiles artists on their website and socials. Look up artists by name to see if they have exhibited in other art fairs or acquired or exhibited by state & national institutions. This will add value to the work and is usually sold at a higher price point. Through your research you will discover what you like and be able to be more discerning (less overwhelmed) when looking at all of the work for sale. If you really love it, trust your instincts, the love for the work will continue to grow. ABORIGINAL ART WORDS: INDIA COLLINS
Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre + Simone Arnol designs, CIAF Fashion Performance 2022. Photograph by Lovegreen Photography.
CIAF’s Fashion Story is a celebration of Queensland’s First Nations fashion design, wearable art, photography, and performance as seen on the runway and on Country through the pandemic. CIAF FASHION STORY WORDS: FRANCOISE LANE
Wins and Reconnection from the White Sands Collection, Irene Robinson, 2022. Photograph by Blueclick Photography, 2021.