Billy Missi - Urapun Kai Buai Exhibition Catalogue

Billy Missi Urapun Kai Buai Contemporary lino prints from the Torres Strait

Zugubal The stars connect the skies with the horizon. The constellations are our orientation to the environment and surroundings, both land and sea.

Malu Ya At sea we are sensitive to seasonal changes. We come to expect certain animals during particular times. This is part of the knowledge learned about the seasons and the sea.

Sagulal Choreographed dances commemorate special occasions.

With a sound like approaching thunder, the warup expresses the coming of the monsoon and the rain that brings new life.

Sapural As the wild trees bear fruit, the flying foxes gorge themselves, while flocking together in large numbers.

Buai Girelal Our learned protocols include the respect of family and humble gratitude towards acknowledging kinship.

Bathu Ya There are many resources and activities at the beach, both in the water and along the shore. There are dangers too: stonefish and stingrays; luckily bush medicine plants are also found there.

Mararm Ar Pui’ Iw Aidail Seasonal crops are associated with the coming of the rains.

For ground and tree foods each type of seasonal rain is aligned with stages of cultivation.

I would like to acknowledge all the elders and uncles past and present for their passing of their knowledge and support to me.

Billy Missi

Billy Missi Urapun Kai Buai

Contemporary lino prints from the Torres Strait

1

Acknowledgments Cover image: Urapun Kai Buai This catalogue commemorates the major body of work created by Billy Missi for his solo exhibition Urapun Kai Buai. This publication has been generously supported by the Torres Strait Regional Authority and Arts Queensland.

KickArts Contemporary Arts is a not for profit company limited by guarantee and is supported financially by Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

Sponsors and Partners: Torres Strait Regional Authority Arts Queensland Australia Council for the Arts Qantaslink Aero Tropics Boom Sherrin James Cook University, Cairns campus Publisher KickArts Contemporary Arts 96 Abbott Street Cairns QLD 4870 Australia Postal address: PO Box 6090 Cairns QLD 4870 Australia www.kickarts.org.au Telephone: 07 4050 9494 international telephone +61 7 4050 9494 info@kickarts.org.au

Contents KickArts Contemporary Arts Board Of Directors Mike Fordham, Chair Jenni Le Comte, Secretary Robyn Baker Jeneve Frizzo Robin Maxwell Billy Missi Roland Nancarrow Andrew Prowse Gayleen Toll Robert Willmet KickArts Contemporary Arts Staff Rae O’Connell, Director Beverley Mitchell, KickArts Shop Manager Linda Stuart, Administration Manager Amanda Page, Communications Officer Samantha Creyton, Program Officer

© KickArts Contemporary Arts 2008

Foreword - Toshie Kris

4

Introduction - Rae O’Connell

5

Beverley Mitchell - Kulba Yadail, Kaien Wakaine Thamam (old lyrics, new expressions)

6

Russell Milledge - Danalgaw Gidhal (stories about life)

8

ISBN 978-0-9803402-1-1

Zugubal

12

Language and Spelling Where possible this publication uses the language names provided by the artist. The spelling of Indigenous works and names varies. They generally appear in this publication according to conventions of accepted usage and authoritative sources.

Sagulal

16

Dimensions of works of art are given in millimetres (mm), height preceding width.

Malu Ya

22

Publication team Artist: Billy Missi Director and Editor: Rae O’Connell Curator: Russell Milledge Writers and contributors: John Toshie Kris, Russell Milledge, Beverley Mitchell, Rae O’Connell Design and production: Amanda Page Photography: David Campbell unless indicated otherwise Proof Reading: Ingrid Hoffmann

Sapural

26

Buai Girelal

30

Bathu Ya

36

Mararm Ar Pui’ lw Aidail

42

Billy Missi CV

54

Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective Postal address: Kubin Moa Island via Thursday Island Queensland 4875 Australia Telephone: 07 4069 4295 international telephone +61 7 4069 4295

Copyright KickArts Contemporary Arts, the artist and authors 2008. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. No illustration in this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be address to the publisher. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Published in association with the exhibition Urapun Kai Buai held at KickArts Contemporary Arts March to June 2008

Printed by: GEON

2

KickArts is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

3

Acknowledgments Cover image: Urapun Kai Buai This catalogue commemorates the major body of work created by Billy Missi for his solo exhibition Urapun Kai Buai. This publication has been generously supported by the Torres Strait Regional Authority and Arts Queensland.

KickArts Contemporary Arts is a not for profit company limited by guarantee and is supported financially by Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

Sponsors and Partners: Torres Strait Regional Authority Arts Queensland Australia Council for the Arts Qantaslink Aero Tropics Boom Sherrin James Cook University, Cairns campus Publisher KickArts Contemporary Arts 96 Abbott Street Cairns QLD 4870 Australia Postal address: PO Box 6090 Cairns QLD 4870 Australia www.kickarts.org.au Telephone: 07 4050 9494 international telephone +61 7 4050 9494 info@kickarts.org.au

Contents KickArts Contemporary Arts Board Of Directors Mike Fordham, Chair Jenni Le Comte, Secretary Robyn Baker Jeneve Frizzo Robin Maxwell Billy Missi Roland Nancarrow Andrew Prowse Gayleen Toll Robert Willmet KickArts Contemporary Arts Staff Rae O’Connell, Director Beverley Mitchell, KickArts Shop Manager Linda Stuart, Administration Manager Amanda Page, Communications Officer Samantha Creyton, Program Officer

© KickArts Contemporary Arts 2008

Foreword - Toshie Kris

4

Introduction - Rae O’Connell

5

Beverley Mitchell - Kulba Yadail, Kaien Wakaine Thamam (old lyrics, new expressions)

6

Russell Milledge - Danalgaw Gidhal (stories about life)

8

ISBN 978-0-9803402-1-1

Zugubal

12

Language and Spelling Where possible this publication uses the language names provided by the artist. The spelling of Indigenous works and names varies. They generally appear in this publication according to conventions of accepted usage and authoritative sources.

Sagulal

16

Dimensions of works of art are given in millimetres (mm), height preceding width.

Malu Ya

22

Publication team Artist: Billy Missi Director and Editor: Rae O’Connell Curator: Russell Milledge Writers and contributors: John Toshie Kris, Russell Milledge, Beverley Mitchell, Rae O’Connell Design and production: Amanda Page Photography: David Campbell unless indicated otherwise Proof Reading: Ingrid Hoffmann

Sapural

26

Buai Girelal

30

Bathu Ya

36

Mararm Ar Pui’ lw Aidail

42

Billy Missi CV

54

Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective Postal address: Kubin Moa Island via Thursday Island Queensland 4875 Australia Telephone: 07 4069 4295 international telephone +61 7 4069 4295

Copyright KickArts Contemporary Arts, the artist and authors 2008. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. No illustration in this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be address to the publisher. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Published in association with the exhibition Urapun Kai Buai held at KickArts Contemporary Arts March to June 2008

Printed by: GEON

2

KickArts is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.

3

Foreword

Introduction

Toshie Kris

Rae O’Connell

The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) congratulates Billy Missi on his wonderful achievement in creating this solo exhibition, Urapun Kai Buai. The TSRA is also proud to be in partnership with KickArts for the production of this impressive catalogue that accompanies the exhibition.

The TSRA recognises the significant contribution Billy is making to our Ailan Kustom (our culture, from which we draw wisdom and strength). These works play an important role in passing on and sharing our culture, which we do through the visual arts, dance and story-telling.

This exhibition looks at contemporary Torres Strait culture and presents the viewer with a rich collection of images and stories that provide an insight into our way of life now, along with ancestral stories and legends passed on through many generations.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Billy for his contribution to the establishment of the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective’s Arts Centre. His efforts and time have been integral to this important piece of cultural infrastructure for Moa Island and the Torres Strait community.

This new Centre will be a hub of activity for Kubin, with artists sharing their knowledge and expertise, as well as generating supplementary income and enhancing the community’s economy.

Only recently has the world begun to experience the rich and vibrant culture and art of the Torres Strait, with our own “home grown” artists now in demand and being recognised nationally and internationally, placing the Torres Strait in the Indigenous Art spotlight.

This Centre will continue to allow local artists to further develop their exceptional talent and continue the maintenance and emergence of the Torres Strait into the arts scene.

With the establishment of the KickArts Printmaking Studio we will be able to forge new partnership projects with KickArts through artist-in-residence programs and professional development workshops. These activities will provide stimulation for artists across the Straits, leading to the development of new work and expanding our artists’ horizons.

Our relationship with KickArts continues to grow through the Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island, the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective on Moa Island and the KickArts Exhibition Program. We look forward to the continued strengthening of this relationship through Billy’s exhibition.

4

Finally, I would like to congratulate Billy again for the work he has put into creating Urapun Kai Buai and wish him every success for this exhibition. I would also like to congratulate the KickArts Board of Directors and staff for their foresight in developing this exhibition with Billy and to Arts Queensland for their ongoing support of the important work produced by KickArts.

John Toshie Kris Chairman Torres Strait Regional Authority

This catalogue captures the works of art created by Billy Missi for his solo exhibition, Urapun Kai Buai, held in the KickArts galleries from March to June 2008. These works are important to Missi as a means of providing us with an insight into the Zenadh-Kes peoples through his visual interpretations of traditional culture. For Missi, cultural stories embody traditional information still used in contemporary contexts today, and offer a glimpse into the lives of his people.

The stories talk of how the skies and horizons are navigational guides across sea and land, how seasonal changes provide knowledge for hunting and gathering native foods, and how family protocols support kinship and ceremonies. Missi sees himself as an important cultural custodian of such stories.

Missi is proud of his culture and this pride is summed up by the exhibition title, Urapun Kai Buai, which translates as one big kin. The artwork that lends the exhibition its title was his starting point, and Urapun Kai Buai is a masterpiece of lino carving. The lines or vines represent the lineages of families, the coming together of families through marriage. These lines are then shown branching out, representing how families grow and expand, moving through the vast area of the Torres Strait Islands. As one whole family of peoples, the ZenadhKes share their unique stories.

‘I am excited to be a part of this new initiative and I am sure that many other artists will follow in the near future. I’m proud to be one of first artists to be published by KickArts’, says Billy Missi.

KickArts is proud to be publishing all of these works through the new KickArts Printmaking Studio, for which Missi provided advice during the planning stages. This new studio in Cairns will provide printmaking facilities for artists from the Far North and access to print editions of their work. KickArts will facilitate these print editions along with the commissioning of new works. The studio will lead and foster the artform of printmaking and champion artists working in this medium.

I would like to thank Billy Missi for working with us to develop this publication, and of course, for creating this outstanding body of work. It is a great achievement and will be a soughtafter touring exhibition.

Rae O’Connell Director KickArts Contemporary Arts

This exhibition is a great achievement for Missi as he now moves toward establishing himself as a full-time, professional artist. Along with his arts practice Missi has been serving on both the UMI Arts and KickArts Contemporary Arts Boards of Directors. Also in the lead up to this exhibition Missi dedicated time to founding the printmaking studio at the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective’s Arts Centre in Kubin on Moa Island, which opened in June 2006.

The Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective is made up of community-based artists from Moa Island. This facility offers access to printmaking equipment and works to support artists in the production of printmaking. The studio also provides professional development opportunities for artists with funding secured through Arts Queensland. This major cultural infrastructure was jointly funded by the TSRA and State Development Trade and Innovation. The studio has started to bring visitors to the Island to view local artists’ work. This facility also assists Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Waiben (Thursday Island) in providing valuable works of art for the exhibition program by local artists.

Currently Mualgau Minaral Art Centre is looking forward to support through Arts Queensland’s Backing Indigenous Arts Program that will help develop the art centre at Moa along with others in Lockhart River, Aurukun and Mornington Island.

KickArts also is looking forward to working with the Collective to develop exchange programs.

5

Foreword

Introduction

Toshie Kris

Rae O’Connell

The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) congratulates Billy Missi on his wonderful achievement in creating this solo exhibition, Urapun Kai Buai. The TSRA is also proud to be in partnership with KickArts for the production of this impressive catalogue that accompanies the exhibition.

The TSRA recognises the significant contribution Billy is making to our Ailan Kustom (our culture, from which we draw wisdom and strength). These works play an important role in passing on and sharing our culture, which we do through the visual arts, dance and story-telling.

This exhibition looks at contemporary Torres Strait culture and presents the viewer with a rich collection of images and stories that provide an insight into our way of life now, along with ancestral stories and legends passed on through many generations.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Billy for his contribution to the establishment of the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective’s Arts Centre. His efforts and time have been integral to this important piece of cultural infrastructure for Moa Island and the Torres Strait community.

This new Centre will be a hub of activity for Kubin, with artists sharing their knowledge and expertise, as well as generating supplementary income and enhancing the community’s economy.

Only recently has the world begun to experience the rich and vibrant culture and art of the Torres Strait, with our own “home grown” artists now in demand and being recognised nationally and internationally, placing the Torres Strait in the Indigenous Art spotlight.

This Centre will continue to allow local artists to further develop their exceptional talent and continue the maintenance and emergence of the Torres Strait into the arts scene.

With the establishment of the KickArts Printmaking Studio we will be able to forge new partnership projects with KickArts through artist-in-residence programs and professional development workshops. These activities will provide stimulation for artists across the Straits, leading to the development of new work and expanding our artists’ horizons.

Our relationship with KickArts continues to grow through the Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island, the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective on Moa Island and the KickArts Exhibition Program. We look forward to the continued strengthening of this relationship through Billy’s exhibition.

4

Finally, I would like to congratulate Billy again for the work he has put into creating Urapun Kai Buai and wish him every success for this exhibition. I would also like to congratulate the KickArts Board of Directors and staff for their foresight in developing this exhibition with Billy and to Arts Queensland for their ongoing support of the important work produced by KickArts.

John Toshie Kris Chairman Torres Strait Regional Authority

This catalogue captures the works of art created by Billy Missi for his solo exhibition, Urapun Kai Buai, held in the KickArts galleries from March to June 2008. These works are important to Missi as a means of providing us with an insight into the Zenadh-Kes peoples through his visual interpretations of traditional culture. For Missi, cultural stories embody traditional information still used in contemporary contexts today, and offer a glimpse into the lives of his people.

The stories talk of how the skies and horizons are navigational guides across sea and land, how seasonal changes provide knowledge for hunting and gathering native foods, and how family protocols support kinship and ceremonies. Missi sees himself as an important cultural custodian of such stories.

Missi is proud of his culture and this pride is summed up by the exhibition title, Urapun Kai Buai, which translates as one big kin. The artwork that lends the exhibition its title was his starting point, and Urapun Kai Buai is a masterpiece of lino carving. The lines or vines represent the lineages of families, the coming together of families through marriage. These lines are then shown branching out, representing how families grow and expand, moving through the vast area of the Torres Strait Islands. As one whole family of peoples, the ZenadhKes share their unique stories.

‘I am excited to be a part of this new initiative and I am sure that many other artists will follow in the near future. I’m proud to be one of first artists to be published by KickArts’, says Billy Missi.

KickArts is proud to be publishing all of these works through the new KickArts Printmaking Studio, for which Missi provided advice during the planning stages. This new studio in Cairns will provide printmaking facilities for artists from the Far North and access to print editions of their work. KickArts will facilitate these print editions along with the commissioning of new works. The studio will lead and foster the artform of printmaking and champion artists working in this medium.

I would like to thank Billy Missi for working with us to develop this publication, and of course, for creating this outstanding body of work. It is a great achievement and will be a soughtafter touring exhibition.

Rae O’Connell Director KickArts Contemporary Arts

This exhibition is a great achievement for Missi as he now moves toward establishing himself as a full-time, professional artist. Along with his arts practice Missi has been serving on both the UMI Arts and KickArts Contemporary Arts Boards of Directors. Also in the lead up to this exhibition Missi dedicated time to founding the printmaking studio at the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective’s Arts Centre in Kubin on Moa Island, which opened in June 2006.

The Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective is made up of community-based artists from Moa Island. This facility offers access to printmaking equipment and works to support artists in the production of printmaking. The studio also provides professional development opportunities for artists with funding secured through Arts Queensland. This major cultural infrastructure was jointly funded by the TSRA and State Development Trade and Innovation. The studio has started to bring visitors to the Island to view local artists’ work. This facility also assists Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Waiben (Thursday Island) in providing valuable works of art for the exhibition program by local artists.

Currently Mualgau Minaral Art Centre is looking forward to support through Arts Queensland’s Backing Indigenous Arts Program that will help develop the art centre at Moa along with others in Lockhart River, Aurukun and Mornington Island.

KickArts also is looking forward to working with the Collective to develop exchange programs.

5

Beverley Mitchell Kulba Yadail, Kaien Wakaine Thamam (old lyrics, new expressions) Billy Missi comes from a long and distinguished bloodline of artists. He felt the impulse to create when he first encountered the works of contemporary Torres Strait Islander artists in 1992, but it was not until 1999 that he felt ready to devote himself to his artistic pursuits full-time. With only minimal initial formal training on Moa Island, under the tutelage of Dennis Nona, he has rapidly worked his way to the forefront of contemporary Zenadh-Kes printmaking. He skilfully combines traditional carving techniques and patterns with the Western medium of the linocut and has joined his artistic colleagues in forging a new Torres Strait Islander aesthetic firmly based on traditional principles.

Perhaps the most immediately visible common feature of the work of the Zenadh-Kes printmakers is the Uruy Dhangadh, or zig zag patterning. In the late 1980s Torres Strait Islander students from the Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE in Cairns, with its strong printmaking focus, began experimenting with the occasional use of traditional carving patterns in their linocut works. However, it was Dennis Nona, influenced by a powerful dream, who developed the visually stimulating use of the Uruy Dhangadh as seen today. This intricate, low relief patterning was traditionally carved into wooden objects throughout Melanesia, and Torres Strait Islanders had decorated both ritual and everyday items of wood, bamboo and turtle shell in this manner. The techniques had fallen into comparatively limited use on the Islands following the arrival of the London Missionary Society in the late 1800s, as the missionaries disapproved of traditional practices, but many of today’s contemporary artists were taught to carve as children and the techniques and patterns learned were easily transferred into the linocut medium. By the early 1990s several of the other TAFE students were following Nona’s lead, with his heartfelt approval.

The anthropologist A.C. Haddon in his 1912 report on his expeditions to the Torres Strait stated, ‘Although I made enquiries concerning the meaning of the decoration of objects and the names of several of the designs and patterns, the information I obtained was so meagre that it seemed evident that their history is forgotten. In some cases I am doubtful whether the word given was the recognised name for the pattern or whether it was given because the pattern resembled that particular object.’ (Haddon 1912, Volume IV, p. 386) However, Haddon then goes on to enumerate several examples of the symbolism of traditional Islander patterning including clam shell serrations, Dibidibi pendants (round pearl shell pendants given to fully initiated warriors), pelicans flying and nautilus shell artefacts. According to Billy Missi, Zenadh-Kes oral tradition states that most of these patterns were inspired by natural objects such as fish bones, shell designs or other animal bone structures. Dennis Nona was also very keen to incorporate traditional clan or totemic marks into the Uruy Dhangadh when he first began producing 6

linocuts. These marks were frequently found on drums and pipes and were used as body scarification designs indicating the individual’s totem. Papi of Mabuaig, one of Haddon’s informants, was Missi’s great-great-great-great grandfather (appropriately recounted as making sketches). This is a strong source of family pride for Missi and he has discovered many times in recent years that oral traditional knowledge that had been passed on to him by his elders had retained its wording as recorded by Haddon.

In 2001 Billy Missi, Dennis Nona, David Bosun, Victor Motlop and Elder Paul Tom travelled to the UK to view pieces held in the Haddon Collection in Cambridge. Alick Tipoti also travelled there separately that same year. Seeing such an extensive collection first hand was enormously inspirational for the young artists and gave them direct access to traditional carving designs from the nineteenth century. These artists have also familiarised themselves with Haddon’s reports on his expeditions to varying degrees, as well as other source books on cultural material, thereby creating a situation where an invested meaning in their choice of pattern is informed both by oral tradition and through the filter of a colonial text.

Sometimes neither source can illuminate the original meaning of a pattern. The work of these artists is therefore best viewed as a contemporary interpretation on a foundation of traditional designs and meanings. The artists are also creating their own designs and developing a new pattern language when the line of traditional knowledge has been broken or they wish to convey hitherto unexpressed concepts.

Occasionally when patrons on the gallery floor are faced with the works of a number of Zenadh-Kes printmakers, they pass comment that, ‘They all look so similar’. However, there are very distinct differences between the subject matter and styles of each of the Zenadh-Kes printmakers, just as mainland Aboriginal artists engaging with the dot become quickly distinguishable upon closer study. For example, Alick Tipoti uses very sharp, pointed patterning and his figures are strong, masculine and physical and reflect his excellent drawing skills. Tipoti also most frequently employs the device of Pagamasik or hidden images – creatures lurking within the Uruy Dhangadh – discernable only by subtle shifts in the direction of the patterns. Dennis Nona’s linocut works have a dreamlike quality, his figures are otherworldly and his zig zag patterning is consistently smaller than Tipoti’s. Nona’s work is also frequently designed ‘in the round’, with sideways and inverted images, rather than being constrained by the traditional Western notions of top and bottom. In contrast, Brian Robinson’s work makes use of perspective in a manner not seen in the work of any of the other artists and Joel Sam’s work has a vibrant, optical electricity that makes his sea creatures seem to jump off the paper. As evidenced in the major work Urapun Kai Buai (2007) and the earlier works Links and Kulba Yadail (both 2006), the defining feature of Billy Missi’s work is increasingly becoming his use of symbolic abstract pattern.

As stated previously, Billy Missi began his art practice in 1999 and his work has been evolving steadily over the ensuing nine years. Currently though, Missi’s work is in a new state of

discovery and evolution and can be divided into two distinct styles, each successful for its own purpose. Throughout his career Missi has worked in quite a pictorial style.

Early examples such as Dhangal Um Araik (2000) feature representational images against a background of decorative Uruy Dhangadh and recent works such as Pulah (2008) and Mudhaw Warul (2007) continue in this vein. This style is chiefly employed by Missi to illustrate snapshots of narrative.

The 2006 linocuts Links (winner of the 2006 Fremantle Print Award non-acquisitive prize), Kulba Yadail and Sapur au Kubi were breakthrough works for Missi. Visually bold and repetitive in their patterning and, in the case of the first two works, employing abstraction, they marked a new level of sophistication in composition and symbolism that has been recaptured in a number of Missi’s more recent works and herald an exciting new direction for the artist. These works do require more decoding on the part of the viewer but have profound depth. In these works, sections of Uruy Dhangadh become newly and complexly representational, becoming symbolic of, for example, the diaspora of population (Urapun Kai Buai) or different types of rain (Ari Sulam Ka). Pictorial imagery is also repeated to great effect in works such as Sapur au Kubi and Ari Sulam Ka (2007), becoming a design element in itself.

This style of work evolved after a series of phone conversations between Missi and Nona as the latter was beginning his experimentations with pattern in the major works Ara and Baidam (2006). Missi began to consider abstract pattern himself and produced Links, which met with immediate success at the Fremantle Print Award. Kulba Yadail and Sapur au Kubi soon followed but, unlike Nona who favours random abstract pattern, Missi’s work showed order, rhythm and symmetry.

Symmetry has been a long-standing feature of Missi’s work and can be seen in early works such as Dhuiuman Nur (1999), Dhangal Um Araik and Koedhayabuw Alalai Gub (2001). Missi also regularly produces works based on a diagonal line of symmetry rather than the vertical, examples of this include Kulba Yadail, Ubarau Poeythurathai Ari (2002) and Gudakathurai (2008). Haddon noted that Torres Strait ‘artists have a distinct feeling for symmetry which prompts them to design their patterns with regard to the middle or sagittal line of the object, even though the middle line may not be indicated structurally’ (Haddon 1912, Vol IV, p. 387).

In conversation with Missi he stated that the use of symmetry in his work was not a conscious compositional choice, but rather that he felt an innate sense of ‘rightness’ about these works. Symmetry is fundamentally visually satisfying to him.

As Missi explores the use of abstract pattern, this framework of symmetry is giving his works a graphical strength and helping define his signature style.

Missi’s work Ari Sulam Ka is an excellent example of the coming together of all of the elements that both inform and signify his work. In subject matter it utilises a seemingly insignificant creature, the frog, as a timely reminder of the interconnectedness of all things and an observation of traditional Zenadh-Kes markers of the progression of the

seasons. Torres Strait Islanders know that with the coming of certain types of rain come the seasons for certain plants and animals and the appropriate times for planting crops for success. More metaphorically, the frogs calling for the rain symbolise the culturally appropriate time and way of asking for what one needs, as this is the way to be worthy of receiving it. In terms of composition, this work employs symmetry along a central, vertical axis. The Uruy Dhangadh is rhythmic and repetitive, symbolic of both the different types of rain and the voices of the frogs at the bottom of the image as they call out to the spirit figures at the top. Thick, black, wavy lines join the frogs and the spirits, representing their universal connection and communication. These elements are Missi’s own constructs. The repetitions of the frog and spirit motifs also create a rhythmic pattern in themselves. The depiction of the frogs and the clusters of three yams either side of the central axis are design motifs that Missi has picked up by cultural osmosis. He does not recall when he first saw them; they are how they should be. Both of these motifs make brief appearances in Haddon’s report, Volume IV (figs. 366 and 367 and fig. 353 respectively).

In content Billy Missi’s new works presented in Urapun Kai Buai deal with the importance of maintaining traditional cultural values, of respecting traditional knowledge in the everyday, in the little stories of his culture – not just the big.

He is justifiably proud of his cultural heritage and wishes to see the Zenadh-Kes peoples continue to grow as a dynamic, vibrant, contemporary world culture. He is dedicated to doing this in a culturally relevant manner, and through the medium of the linocut he has found a contemporary vehicle for expression that is also highly aesthetically engaging. He has long demonstrated himself to be on a solid foundation of traditional knowledge and technique and now, with this exciting new body of work, he is finding innovative expression for his culture and his own unique voice through pattern.

References Alfonso, C & Kershaw, M (eds) 2001, Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son, Kubin Community Council, Mua Island.

Cosic, M 2006, Preserver of the past: Printmaker Dennis Nona is giving ancient cosmology a graphic form, The Australian, June 30.

David, B & McNiven, I 2005, in Dennis Nona, Sesserae: The Works of Dennis Nona, Griffith Artworks, Brisbane.

Haddon, A C 1912, Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits, Volume IV Arts and Crafts, Cambridge University Press, London.

Milledge, R (ed) 2007, Ailan Currents: Contemporary Printmaking from the Torres Strait, KickArts Contemporary Arts Ltd, Cairns.

Missi, B Interviews with the author, March-April 2008, Cairns.

Mosby, T (ed) 1998, Ilan Pasin: Torres Strait Art, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns.

Robinson, B 2001, Torres Strait Islander Printmaking, National Gallery of Australia, accessed 14 March 2008. <http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/bibliography/135877/ robinson-brian-torres-strait-islander-printmaking.aspx>

7

Beverley Mitchell Kulba Yadail, Kaien Wakaine Thamam (old lyrics, new expressions) Billy Missi comes from a long and distinguished bloodline of artists. He felt the impulse to create when he first encountered the works of contemporary Torres Strait Islander artists in 1992, but it was not until 1999 that he felt ready to devote himself to his artistic pursuits full-time. With only minimal initial formal training on Moa Island, under the tutelage of Dennis Nona, he has rapidly worked his way to the forefront of contemporary Zenadh-Kes printmaking. He skilfully combines traditional carving techniques and patterns with the Western medium of the linocut and has joined his artistic colleagues in forging a new Torres Strait Islander aesthetic firmly based on traditional principles.

Perhaps the most immediately visible common feature of the work of the Zenadh-Kes printmakers is the Uruy Dhangadh, or zig zag patterning. In the late 1980s Torres Strait Islander students from the Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE in Cairns, with its strong printmaking focus, began experimenting with the occasional use of traditional carving patterns in their linocut works. However, it was Dennis Nona, influenced by a powerful dream, who developed the visually stimulating use of the Uruy Dhangadh as seen today. This intricate, low relief patterning was traditionally carved into wooden objects throughout Melanesia, and Torres Strait Islanders had decorated both ritual and everyday items of wood, bamboo and turtle shell in this manner. The techniques had fallen into comparatively limited use on the Islands following the arrival of the London Missionary Society in the late 1800s, as the missionaries disapproved of traditional practices, but many of today’s contemporary artists were taught to carve as children and the techniques and patterns learned were easily transferred into the linocut medium. By the early 1990s several of the other TAFE students were following Nona’s lead, with his heartfelt approval.

The anthropologist A.C. Haddon in his 1912 report on his expeditions to the Torres Strait stated, ‘Although I made enquiries concerning the meaning of the decoration of objects and the names of several of the designs and patterns, the information I obtained was so meagre that it seemed evident that their history is forgotten. In some cases I am doubtful whether the word given was the recognised name for the pattern or whether it was given because the pattern resembled that particular object.’ (Haddon 1912, Volume IV, p. 386) However, Haddon then goes on to enumerate several examples of the symbolism of traditional Islander patterning including clam shell serrations, Dibidibi pendants (round pearl shell pendants given to fully initiated warriors), pelicans flying and nautilus shell artefacts. According to Billy Missi, Zenadh-Kes oral tradition states that most of these patterns were inspired by natural objects such as fish bones, shell designs or other animal bone structures. Dennis Nona was also very keen to incorporate traditional clan or totemic marks into the Uruy Dhangadh when he first began producing 6

linocuts. These marks were frequently found on drums and pipes and were used as body scarification designs indicating the individual’s totem. Papi of Mabuaig, one of Haddon’s informants, was Missi’s great-great-great-great grandfather (appropriately recounted as making sketches). This is a strong source of family pride for Missi and he has discovered many times in recent years that oral traditional knowledge that had been passed on to him by his elders had retained its wording as recorded by Haddon.

In 2001 Billy Missi, Dennis Nona, David Bosun, Victor Motlop and Elder Paul Tom travelled to the UK to view pieces held in the Haddon Collection in Cambridge. Alick Tipoti also travelled there separately that same year. Seeing such an extensive collection first hand was enormously inspirational for the young artists and gave them direct access to traditional carving designs from the nineteenth century. These artists have also familiarised themselves with Haddon’s reports on his expeditions to varying degrees, as well as other source books on cultural material, thereby creating a situation where an invested meaning in their choice of pattern is informed both by oral tradition and through the filter of a colonial text.

Sometimes neither source can illuminate the original meaning of a pattern. The work of these artists is therefore best viewed as a contemporary interpretation on a foundation of traditional designs and meanings. The artists are also creating their own designs and developing a new pattern language when the line of traditional knowledge has been broken or they wish to convey hitherto unexpressed concepts.

Occasionally when patrons on the gallery floor are faced with the works of a number of Zenadh-Kes printmakers, they pass comment that, ‘They all look so similar’. However, there are very distinct differences between the subject matter and styles of each of the Zenadh-Kes printmakers, just as mainland Aboriginal artists engaging with the dot become quickly distinguishable upon closer study. For example, Alick Tipoti uses very sharp, pointed patterning and his figures are strong, masculine and physical and reflect his excellent drawing skills. Tipoti also most frequently employs the device of Pagamasik or hidden images – creatures lurking within the Uruy Dhangadh – discernable only by subtle shifts in the direction of the patterns. Dennis Nona’s linocut works have a dreamlike quality, his figures are otherworldly and his zig zag patterning is consistently smaller than Tipoti’s. Nona’s work is also frequently designed ‘in the round’, with sideways and inverted images, rather than being constrained by the traditional Western notions of top and bottom. In contrast, Brian Robinson’s work makes use of perspective in a manner not seen in the work of any of the other artists and Joel Sam’s work has a vibrant, optical electricity that makes his sea creatures seem to jump off the paper. As evidenced in the major work Urapun Kai Buai (2007) and the earlier works Links and Kulba Yadail (both 2006), the defining feature of Billy Missi’s work is increasingly becoming his use of symbolic abstract pattern.

As stated previously, Billy Missi began his art practice in 1999 and his work has been evolving steadily over the ensuing nine years. Currently though, Missi’s work is in a new state of

discovery and evolution and can be divided into two distinct styles, each successful for its own purpose. Throughout his career Missi has worked in quite a pictorial style.

Early examples such as Dhangal Um Araik (2000) feature representational images against a background of decorative Uruy Dhangadh and recent works such as Pulah (2008) and Mudhaw Warul (2007) continue in this vein. This style is chiefly employed by Missi to illustrate snapshots of narrative.

The 2006 linocuts Links (winner of the 2006 Fremantle Print Award non-acquisitive prize), Kulba Yadail and Sapur au Kubi were breakthrough works for Missi. Visually bold and repetitive in their patterning and, in the case of the first two works, employing abstraction, they marked a new level of sophistication in composition and symbolism that has been recaptured in a number of Missi’s more recent works and herald an exciting new direction for the artist. These works do require more decoding on the part of the viewer but have profound depth. In these works, sections of Uruy Dhangadh become newly and complexly representational, becoming symbolic of, for example, the diaspora of population (Urapun Kai Buai) or different types of rain (Ari Sulam Ka). Pictorial imagery is also repeated to great effect in works such as Sapur au Kubi and Ari Sulam Ka (2007), becoming a design element in itself.

This style of work evolved after a series of phone conversations between Missi and Nona as the latter was beginning his experimentations with pattern in the major works Ara and Baidam (2006). Missi began to consider abstract pattern himself and produced Links, which met with immediate success at the Fremantle Print Award. Kulba Yadail and Sapur au Kubi soon followed but, unlike Nona who favours random abstract pattern, Missi’s work showed order, rhythm and symmetry.

Symmetry has been a long-standing feature of Missi’s work and can be seen in early works such as Dhuiuman Nur (1999), Dhangal Um Araik and Koedhayabuw Alalai Gub (2001). Missi also regularly produces works based on a diagonal line of symmetry rather than the vertical, examples of this include Kulba Yadail, Ubarau Poeythurathai Ari (2002) and Gudakathurai (2008). Haddon noted that Torres Strait ‘artists have a distinct feeling for symmetry which prompts them to design their patterns with regard to the middle or sagittal line of the object, even though the middle line may not be indicated structurally’ (Haddon 1912, Vol IV, p. 387).

In conversation with Missi he stated that the use of symmetry in his work was not a conscious compositional choice, but rather that he felt an innate sense of ‘rightness’ about these works. Symmetry is fundamentally visually satisfying to him.

As Missi explores the use of abstract pattern, this framework of symmetry is giving his works a graphical strength and helping define his signature style.

Missi’s work Ari Sulam Ka is an excellent example of the coming together of all of the elements that both inform and signify his work. In subject matter it utilises a seemingly insignificant creature, the frog, as a timely reminder of the interconnectedness of all things and an observation of traditional Zenadh-Kes markers of the progression of the

seasons. Torres Strait Islanders know that with the coming of certain types of rain come the seasons for certain plants and animals and the appropriate times for planting crops for success. More metaphorically, the frogs calling for the rain symbolise the culturally appropriate time and way of asking for what one needs, as this is the way to be worthy of receiving it. In terms of composition, this work employs symmetry along a central, vertical axis. The Uruy Dhangadh is rhythmic and repetitive, symbolic of both the different types of rain and the voices of the frogs at the bottom of the image as they call out to the spirit figures at the top. Thick, black, wavy lines join the frogs and the spirits, representing their universal connection and communication. These elements are Missi’s own constructs. The repetitions of the frog and spirit motifs also create a rhythmic pattern in themselves. The depiction of the frogs and the clusters of three yams either side of the central axis are design motifs that Missi has picked up by cultural osmosis. He does not recall when he first saw them; they are how they should be. Both of these motifs make brief appearances in Haddon’s report, Volume IV (figs. 366 and 367 and fig. 353 respectively).

In content Billy Missi’s new works presented in Urapun Kai Buai deal with the importance of maintaining traditional cultural values, of respecting traditional knowledge in the everyday, in the little stories of his culture – not just the big.

He is justifiably proud of his cultural heritage and wishes to see the Zenadh-Kes peoples continue to grow as a dynamic, vibrant, contemporary world culture. He is dedicated to doing this in a culturally relevant manner, and through the medium of the linocut he has found a contemporary vehicle for expression that is also highly aesthetically engaging. He has long demonstrated himself to be on a solid foundation of traditional knowledge and technique and now, with this exciting new body of work, he is finding innovative expression for his culture and his own unique voice through pattern.

References Alfonso, C & Kershaw, M (eds) 2001, Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son, Kubin Community Council, Mua Island.

Cosic, M 2006, Preserver of the past: Printmaker Dennis Nona is giving ancient cosmology a graphic form, The Australian, June 30.

David, B & McNiven, I 2005, in Dennis Nona, Sesserae: The Works of Dennis Nona, Griffith Artworks, Brisbane.

Haddon, A C 1912, Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits, Volume IV Arts and Crafts, Cambridge University Press, London.

Milledge, R (ed) 2007, Ailan Currents: Contemporary Printmaking from the Torres Strait, KickArts Contemporary Arts Ltd, Cairns.

Missi, B Interviews with the author, March-April 2008, Cairns.

Mosby, T (ed) 1998, Ilan Pasin: Torres Strait Art, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns.

Robinson, B 2001, Torres Strait Islander Printmaking, National Gallery of Australia, accessed 14 March 2008. <http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/bibliography/135877/ robinson-brian-torres-strait-islander-printmaking.aspx>

7

Russell Milledge Danalgaw Gidhal (stories about life) “When the fruit of the wongai ripen to a deep red, the shark constellation descends towards the west and the female sea turtles become fertile.” Peter Eseli’s Notebook For Zenadh-Kes men of the Maluiligal, who are people of the deep water passages around Mabuiag and Badu Islands, listening to stories retold by Wadhuam, the uncles in an extended family, is the traditional method of gaining kinship knowledge. Clan totems are those of land and sea creatures including: the Dhangal (Dugong); the Koedal (Crocodile); the Thaabu (Snake) and the Kaygas (Shovel-nosed Ray) (Eseli 1998). Listening to stories about significant events and practices is a way to learn important knowledge about survival. Many of the Wadhuam stories identify food and vegetation, describing the plants as they change through the seasons and the interrelationships within the ecology of territorial land and sea. As one of the oldest seafaring cultures, navigation by the tides, star constellations, cloud formations and surface patterns of the sea are pertinent skills that continue to have currency for Zenadh-Kes survival today.

This implicit relationship between culture and environment indicates the specialised and important nature of oral kinship storytelling traditions in the Torres Strait.

Billy Missi has a deep sensibility, and commitment, to engage with this knowledge as it forms the foundations of traditional and future stewardship of the unique Torres Strait environment. Like his friend and colleague, leading ZenadhKes artist Dennis Nona, Missi is gaining recognition as a guardian of traditional knowledge. Permission to visualise stories through contemporary art must be sought through consultation with the Koey Buway, traditional cultural custodians and the island community council. The exhibition does not represent or illustrate secret sacred knowledge, stories or totems; these require a social protocol for passing between members of the tribe. Instead, the exhibition focuses on everyday stories, knowledge about everyday survival and the journey of a race of people through kinship. There is much sensitivity about the nature of authorship concerning elaborations of sacred knowledge for the Zenadh-Kes artists, as sacred stories reach deep definitions of ritual and ancestral identity within a tribe. Sacred knowledge is owned collectively and the whole tribal community is the beneficiary of these stories and it is not appropriate for an individual to benefit exclusively from their commercial exploitation.

Along with kinship, inspiration has come from the artist’s immersion in ‘pure nature’, reflecting the traditional way of interaction with his surroundings. Some of the visual representations record the process of hunting and gathering, with shapes, marks and patterns representing certain seasons. Zenadh-Kes culture is saturated with its relationship to the sea and its artists imbued with seascapes, skyscapes and spiritscapes (David 2005).

8

One of the principal characteristics, introduced through the innovations of Dennis Nona, engages with tribal stories and motifs within an exploration of new mediums and practice.

This keeps the value of traditional stories alive, in the face of post-colonial assimilation, and secures a coded moral representation for further generations to consider. Ideally Billy Missi’s engagement with core traditional values is empowering the specific ethnic differences of Zenadh-Kes peoples. This is a significant legacy presenting possibilities for the future of Torres Strait Islanders’ sense of place and cultural identity.

These works of art are projected into the world with masterful contemporaneity and many individual visual representations transcend tribal sentiments and engage sophisticated compositional and abstract aesthetics.

The ancestors of the Zenadh-Kes practiced their unique cult and Zogo beliefs (Horton ed. 1994) as a distinct culture, occupying habitable islands and nearby coastal camps between the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, Mugie Daudai to the north, and Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, Kie Daudai to the south. Both have archaeological deposits presenting continuous living inhabitation of between forty to sixty thousand years (Flood 1989). Between these landmass giants, including one of the earth’s largest islands, the mystery of the ancestral Zenadh-Kes remains.

The Torres Strait is a specific cultural and physical crossroads, where the Coral Sea meets the Arafura Sea in northern Australia’s equatorial region. Studded with reefs and islands the Strait is a complex, shallow body of water with a reach of only one-hundred and fifty kilometres at its narrowest and an average sea depth of only ten metres (Wolanski 1990).

Influences from Melanesia, Australasia and Southeast Asia are distinct and historic over millennia. Modern influences include Asian, Oceanic, Christian, Australian colonial and post-colonial integration. All of these influences have been absorbed into the unique identity of the Torres Strait and inform the cultural milieux of the island lifestyle. Today’s Torres Strait Islander diasporic population is dispersed in tropical cities dotted along northern Australia’s eastern seaboard (Mosby 1998), in particular Cairns and Townsville (Horton ed.

1994), with significant traditional links to large populations in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (Dabb n.d.).

The islands that dot the Strait can be divided into four general topographical and cultural groups, namely the Western, Eastern, Central and Northern (or Top Western) islands (Robinson 2001). Kala Lagaw Ya is the indigenous language spoken in the vast majority of the Zenadh-Kes Islands.

Dialects of Kala Lagaw Ya are spoken in the inner island group as Kaiwalagal, the Top Western dialect as Kalakawa Ya and the Central dialect as Kulkalgal 1. The indigenous language of Meriam Mer is confined to the Eastern Islands. The English language and a Torres Strait Creole, Broken or Yumiplatok (Bani 1998), unite communication across these cultural divisions.

There is research to suggest early population of the Western Pacific originated in the late Pleistocene2, when seafaring people from Indochina / Austronesia moved through the region via Melanesia and Micronesia, with a second wave

of migration contributing to the present, relatively recent, cultural history of Polynesia in the central and eastern South Pacific, including New Zealand3. This second migration also corresponds, in the timeline of archaeological evidence, with the record of the Zenadh-Kes inhabitation of the Torres Strait islands of around two to three and a half thousand years (David 2005). A number of tribal Zenadh-Kes mythologies support the theory of migration from Melanesia to the North (Mosby 1998); however, there is no accurate record to connect the inhabitation of islands in the Torres Strait with the aggressive migration of people into the Pacific. There are theories that suggest the islands may have remained uninhabited for thousands of years after the prehistoric Pleistocene land bridge known as Sahul, which connected the Australian landmass with Papua New Guinea, became swamped and covered in ocean (Flood 1989). While cave paintings in the Western Torres Strait islands suggest the area was known and traversed by Aboriginal peoples. It is also quite possible that Aboriginal tribal groups became displaced by marauding groups of seafaring Melanesian cannibals from the north4.

Early European incursions into this region occurred in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as conquistadors, from Spanish colonial posts in South America, failed on a number of attempts to colonise parts of the Pacific. During one of these voyages in 1606, Luis Vaéz de Torres after becoming separated from his fleet while sailing west through the Pacific, discovered the sea passage that now bears his name (Meyer 1995).

The Torres Strait Islanders are a seafaring5 people who have elaborated distinctive art practices and languages around a relationship with the sea. It is possible to compare the art of the Torres Strait with forms of Oceanic art from other Island cultures including the refined patterns associated with Polynesian body tattoo and tapa cloth designs. The intense patterning found in the art of the Zenadh-Kes printmaking movement, in particular the linocuts, echo the richness of repeating pattern found on material culture from many Pacific nations. It may therefore be construed that the use of repeating pattern in Zenadh-Kes printmaking can best be interpreted as a primary response to the patterns in nature and, in particular, textures and surfaces of endemic flora and fauna, and the ripples and linear shapes created by light on the surface of the sea.

One of the suggested influences on the Zenadh-Kes artists’ remarkable skill with the medium of linocut printmaking is the tradition of wood carving that is shared with neighbouring Melanesians in Papua New Guinea and nearby islands.

Furthermore the graphic narrative style, that has become a recognisable attribute in the significant works of Missi and other leading exponents of the movement, has been regarded as analogous to the carved shallow relief storyboards from Papua New Guinea’s Sepik region (Robinson 2001).

Significantly the Sepik storyboards were developed for sale in the Western art market from around the nineteen-sixties and are not traditional forms of representation (Thomas 1995).

This is perhaps where the analogy should end as fundamental differences in the modern political context contrast the

Torres Strait Islanders with their Papuan counterparts. In the Papua New Guinea highlands, missionaries, who introduced colonising and spiritually transformative influences, arrived late and retreated early, allowing a continuum of traditional life of sorts, albeit with logging and mining companies bringing significant lifestyle changes to many of these tribes (Thomas 1995). Conversely in the late nineteenth century the Torres Strait Islands, much like Tahiti, became a base for the London Missionary Society’s zeal for the spread of Christianity. During this time a cohort of religious teachers of Pacific Islander ethnicity were deployed by missionaries throughout the Islands, changing forever the traditional relationship with ritual and sacred knowledge. The Coming of the Light continues to be one of the pre-eminent celebrations for the Torres Strait Islander diaspora, while many of these Islanders in mainland Australia live as a minority within a predominantly white society within a Western multicultural and postcolonial value system.

Seeking to represent this multifaceted kinship lens, Missi recognises the contribution a dynamic culture has to offer present and future possibilities of Zenadh-Kes identity. The exhibition of linocut prints, Urapun Kai Buai, is evocative of the unique place Torres Strait Islanders inhabit in this world and the work exudes a delicious fusion in the continuum of traditional folklore, ontological beliefs and global market savvy.

9

Russell Milledge Danalgaw Gidhal (stories about life) “When the fruit of the wongai ripen to a deep red, the shark constellation descends towards the west and the female sea turtles become fertile.” Peter Eseli’s Notebook For Zenadh-Kes men of the Maluiligal, who are people of the deep water passages around Mabuiag and Badu Islands, listening to stories retold by Wadhuam, the uncles in an extended family, is the traditional method of gaining kinship knowledge. Clan totems are those of land and sea creatures including: the Dhangal (Dugong); the Koedal (Crocodile); the Thaabu (Snake) and the Kaygas (Shovel-nosed Ray) (Eseli 1998). Listening to stories about significant events and practices is a way to learn important knowledge about survival. Many of the Wadhuam stories identify food and vegetation, describing the plants as they change through the seasons and the interrelationships within the ecology of territorial land and sea. As one of the oldest seafaring cultures, navigation by the tides, star constellations, cloud formations and surface patterns of the sea are pertinent skills that continue to have currency for Zenadh-Kes survival today.

This implicit relationship between culture and environment indicates the specialised and important nature of oral kinship storytelling traditions in the Torres Strait.

Billy Missi has a deep sensibility, and commitment, to engage with this knowledge as it forms the foundations of traditional and future stewardship of the unique Torres Strait environment. Like his friend and colleague, leading ZenadhKes artist Dennis Nona, Missi is gaining recognition as a guardian of traditional knowledge. Permission to visualise stories through contemporary art must be sought through consultation with the Koey Buway, traditional cultural custodians and the island community council. The exhibition does not represent or illustrate secret sacred knowledge, stories or totems; these require a social protocol for passing between members of the tribe. Instead, the exhibition focuses on everyday stories, knowledge about everyday survival and the journey of a race of people through kinship. There is much sensitivity about the nature of authorship concerning elaborations of sacred knowledge for the Zenadh-Kes artists, as sacred stories reach deep definitions of ritual and ancestral identity within a tribe. Sacred knowledge is owned collectively and the whole tribal community is the beneficiary of these stories and it is not appropriate for an individual to benefit exclusively from their commercial exploitation.

Along with kinship, inspiration has come from the artist’s immersion in ‘pure nature’, reflecting the traditional way of interaction with his surroundings. Some of the visual representations record the process of hunting and gathering, with shapes, marks and patterns representing certain seasons. Zenadh-Kes culture is saturated with its relationship to the sea and its artists imbued with seascapes, skyscapes and spiritscapes (David 2005).

8

One of the principal characteristics, introduced through the innovations of Dennis Nona, engages with tribal stories and motifs within an exploration of new mediums and practice.

This keeps the value of traditional stories alive, in the face of post-colonial assimilation, and secures a coded moral representation for further generations to consider. Ideally Billy Missi’s engagement with core traditional values is empowering the specific ethnic differences of Zenadh-Kes peoples. This is a significant legacy presenting possibilities for the future of Torres Strait Islanders’ sense of place and cultural identity.

These works of art are projected into the world with masterful contemporaneity and many individual visual representations transcend tribal sentiments and engage sophisticated compositional and abstract aesthetics.

The ancestors of the Zenadh-Kes practiced their unique cult and Zogo beliefs (Horton ed. 1994) as a distinct culture, occupying habitable islands and nearby coastal camps between the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, Mugie Daudai to the north, and Australia’s Cape York Peninsula, Kie Daudai to the south. Both have archaeological deposits presenting continuous living inhabitation of between forty to sixty thousand years (Flood 1989). Between these landmass giants, including one of the earth’s largest islands, the mystery of the ancestral Zenadh-Kes remains.

The Torres Strait is a specific cultural and physical crossroads, where the Coral Sea meets the Arafura Sea in northern Australia’s equatorial region. Studded with reefs and islands the Strait is a complex, shallow body of water with a reach of only one-hundred and fifty kilometres at its narrowest and an average sea depth of only ten metres (Wolanski 1990).

Influences from Melanesia, Australasia and Southeast Asia are distinct and historic over millennia. Modern influences include Asian, Oceanic, Christian, Australian colonial and post-colonial integration. All of these influences have been absorbed into the unique identity of the Torres Strait and inform the cultural milieux of the island lifestyle. Today’s Torres Strait Islander diasporic population is dispersed in tropical cities dotted along northern Australia’s eastern seaboard (Mosby 1998), in particular Cairns and Townsville (Horton ed.

1994), with significant traditional links to large populations in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (Dabb n.d.).

The islands that dot the Strait can be divided into four general topographical and cultural groups, namely the Western, Eastern, Central and Northern (or Top Western) islands (Robinson 2001). Kala Lagaw Ya is the indigenous language spoken in the vast majority of the Zenadh-Kes Islands.

Dialects of Kala Lagaw Ya are spoken in the inner island group as Kaiwalagal, the Top Western dialect as Kalakawa Ya and the Central dialect as Kulkalgal 1. The indigenous language of Meriam Mer is confined to the Eastern Islands. The English language and a Torres Strait Creole, Broken or Yumiplatok (Bani 1998), unite communication across these cultural divisions.

There is research to suggest early population of the Western Pacific originated in the late Pleistocene2, when seafaring people from Indochina / Austronesia moved through the region via Melanesia and Micronesia, with a second wave

of migration contributing to the present, relatively recent, cultural history of Polynesia in the central and eastern South Pacific, including New Zealand3. This second migration also corresponds, in the timeline of archaeological evidence, with the record of the Zenadh-Kes inhabitation of the Torres Strait islands of around two to three and a half thousand years (David 2005). A number of tribal Zenadh-Kes mythologies support the theory of migration from Melanesia to the North (Mosby 1998); however, there is no accurate record to connect the inhabitation of islands in the Torres Strait with the aggressive migration of people into the Pacific. There are theories that suggest the islands may have remained uninhabited for thousands of years after the prehistoric Pleistocene land bridge known as Sahul, which connected the Australian landmass with Papua New Guinea, became swamped and covered in ocean (Flood 1989). While cave paintings in the Western Torres Strait islands suggest the area was known and traversed by Aboriginal peoples. It is also quite possible that Aboriginal tribal groups became displaced by marauding groups of seafaring Melanesian cannibals from the north4.

Early European incursions into this region occurred in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as conquistadors, from Spanish colonial posts in South America, failed on a number of attempts to colonise parts of the Pacific. During one of these voyages in 1606, Luis Vaéz de Torres after becoming separated from his fleet while sailing west through the Pacific, discovered the sea passage that now bears his name (Meyer 1995).

The Torres Strait Islanders are a seafaring5 people who have elaborated distinctive art practices and languages around a relationship with the sea. It is possible to compare the art of the Torres Strait with forms of Oceanic art from other Island cultures including the refined patterns associated with Polynesian body tattoo and tapa cloth designs. The intense patterning found in the art of the Zenadh-Kes printmaking movement, in particular the linocuts, echo the richness of repeating pattern found on material culture from many Pacific nations. It may therefore be construed that the use of repeating pattern in Zenadh-Kes printmaking can best be interpreted as a primary response to the patterns in nature and, in particular, textures and surfaces of endemic flora and fauna, and the ripples and linear shapes created by light on the surface of the sea.

One of the suggested influences on the Zenadh-Kes artists’ remarkable skill with the medium of linocut printmaking is the tradition of wood carving that is shared with neighbouring Melanesians in Papua New Guinea and nearby islands.

Furthermore the graphic narrative style, that has become a recognisable attribute in the significant works of Missi and other leading exponents of the movement, has been regarded as analogous to the carved shallow relief storyboards from Papua New Guinea’s Sepik region (Robinson 2001).

Significantly the Sepik storyboards were developed for sale in the Western art market from around the nineteen-sixties and are not traditional forms of representation (Thomas 1995).

This is perhaps where the analogy should end as fundamental differences in the modern political context contrast the

Torres Strait Islanders with their Papuan counterparts. In the Papua New Guinea highlands, missionaries, who introduced colonising and spiritually transformative influences, arrived late and retreated early, allowing a continuum of traditional life of sorts, albeit with logging and mining companies bringing significant lifestyle changes to many of these tribes (Thomas 1995). Conversely in the late nineteenth century the Torres Strait Islands, much like Tahiti, became a base for the London Missionary Society’s zeal for the spread of Christianity. During this time a cohort of religious teachers of Pacific Islander ethnicity were deployed by missionaries throughout the Islands, changing forever the traditional relationship with ritual and sacred knowledge. The Coming of the Light continues to be one of the pre-eminent celebrations for the Torres Strait Islander diaspora, while many of these Islanders in mainland Australia live as a minority within a predominantly white society within a Western multicultural and postcolonial value system.

Seeking to represent this multifaceted kinship lens, Missi recognises the contribution a dynamic culture has to offer present and future possibilities of Zenadh-Kes identity. The exhibition of linocut prints, Urapun Kai Buai, is evocative of the unique place Torres Strait Islanders inhabit in this world and the work exudes a delicious fusion in the continuum of traditional folklore, ontological beliefs and global market savvy.

9

Contemporary visual arts are an ideal medium utilised by Billy Missi to transmit kinship stories from the oral to the visual.

The journey has been an adaptation of energy on the breath of the storyteller to a spark of illumination recorded as visual representation. Missi maintains that it has not been about choices as an artist primarily, but rather a responsibility that is passed on, inherited, through ancestral bloodlines. The urgency of transposing oral knowledge into the visual is to find engagement with contemporary generations who are influenced by the mass-media’s delivery of narratives.

Zenadh-Kes (Torres Strait)

The work of these Island printmakers constitutes a reawakening of traditional and sacred art in a fusion with contemporary mediums and practices.

1 Billy

Missi interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

2

The Pleistocene has been dated from 1.806 million (±5,000 years) to 11,550 years before present.

3

The evidence for this is through the archaeological discovery of ‘Lapita’ pottery shards recurring throughout Melanesia and Polynesia suggesting a single migratory ethnic population.

4

Billy Missi interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

5

Billy Missi made a preference for the term ‘seafaring people’ to emphasise a distinction between terminology used in Aboriginal Australia and mainland Papua New Guinea where the general term ‘saltwater people’ is used to distinguish from ‘bush people’, ‘highlanders’, ‘desert mob’ etc. Billy Missi, interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

Bibliography Eseli, P 1998, Eseli’s notebook: translated from Kala Lagaw Ya into English, edited and annotated by Anna Shnukal and Rod Mitchell, with Yuriko Nagata, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

David, B and McNiven, I 2005, in Dennis Nona, Sesserae: The Works of Dennis Nona, Griffith Artworks, Brisbane.

Horton, D (ed.) 1994, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, society and culture, Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra.

Flood, J 1989, Archaeology of the Dreamtime, William Collins Pty Ltd, Sydney.

Wolanski, E 1990, A Review of the Physical Oceanography of Torres Strait, Proceedings of the Torres Strait Baseline Study Conference, Kewarra Beach, Cairns, Queensland 19 - 23 November 1990, accessed 9 March 2008. <www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4141/ws016_ paper_07.pdf> Mosby, T 1998, Ilan Pasin: Torres Strait Art, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns.

Meyer, A 1995, Oceanic Art, Volume I, Könemann, Köln.

Dabb, G (not dated), A Short Guide to the Torres Strait Compromise, submission National Museum of Australia, accessed 9 March 2008. www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/review/review_submissions/ mr_dabb/files/86/Mr_Dabb.pdf Robinson, B 2001, Torres Strait Islander Printmaking, National Gallery of Australia, accessed 26 February 2008. <http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/bibliography/135877/ robinson-brian-torres-strait-islander-printmaking.aspx> Thomas, N 1995, Oceanic Art, Thames and Hudson, Sydney.

10

11

Contemporary visual arts are an ideal medium utilised by Billy Missi to transmit kinship stories from the oral to the visual.

The journey has been an adaptation of energy on the breath of the storyteller to a spark of illumination recorded as visual representation. Missi maintains that it has not been about choices as an artist primarily, but rather a responsibility that is passed on, inherited, through ancestral bloodlines. The urgency of transposing oral knowledge into the visual is to find engagement with contemporary generations who are influenced by the mass-media’s delivery of narratives.

Zenadh-Kes (Torres Strait)

The work of these Island printmakers constitutes a reawakening of traditional and sacred art in a fusion with contemporary mediums and practices.

1 Billy

Missi interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

2

The Pleistocene has been dated from 1.806 million (±5,000 years) to 11,550 years before present.

3

The evidence for this is through the archaeological discovery of ‘Lapita’ pottery shards recurring throughout Melanesia and Polynesia suggesting a single migratory ethnic population.

4

Billy Missi interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

5

Billy Missi made a preference for the term ‘seafaring people’ to emphasise a distinction between terminology used in Aboriginal Australia and mainland Papua New Guinea where the general term ‘saltwater people’ is used to distinguish from ‘bush people’, ‘highlanders’, ‘desert mob’ etc. Billy Missi, interview with the author 7th March 2008, Brisbane.

Bibliography Eseli, P 1998, Eseli’s notebook: translated from Kala Lagaw Ya into English, edited and annotated by Anna Shnukal and Rod Mitchell, with Yuriko Nagata, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

David, B and McNiven, I 2005, in Dennis Nona, Sesserae: The Works of Dennis Nona, Griffith Artworks, Brisbane.

Horton, D (ed.) 1994, The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, society and culture, Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra.

Flood, J 1989, Archaeology of the Dreamtime, William Collins Pty Ltd, Sydney.

Wolanski, E 1990, A Review of the Physical Oceanography of Torres Strait, Proceedings of the Torres Strait Baseline Study Conference, Kewarra Beach, Cairns, Queensland 19 - 23 November 1990, accessed 9 March 2008. <www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4141/ws016_ paper_07.pdf> Mosby, T 1998, Ilan Pasin: Torres Strait Art, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns.

Meyer, A 1995, Oceanic Art, Volume I, Könemann, Köln.

Dabb, G (not dated), A Short Guide to the Torres Strait Compromise, submission National Museum of Australia, accessed 9 March 2008. www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/review/review_submissions/ mr_dabb/files/86/Mr_Dabb.pdf Robinson, B 2001, Torres Strait Islander Printmaking, National Gallery of Australia, accessed 26 February 2008. <http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/bibliography/135877/ robinson-brian-torres-strait-islander-printmaking.aspx> Thomas, N 1995, Oceanic Art, Thames and Hudson, Sydney.

10

11

Zugubal The stars connect the skies with the horizon. The constellations are our orientation to the environment and surroundings, both land and sea.

Zagan Gud Aladhi (star constellation) Zagal are little fish that come around at a particular time of the year.

In this print I express the disappearance of the Baidam (shark) constellation – “zugu bau thithuil”. Our culture’s ontological belief is that during August when the Baidam disappears from the northern sky of the Torres Strait and all you see is other groups of stars, that’s when the first group of migrant birds (birubirul) pass through from Papua New Guinea to mainland Australia. Early morning low tides become regular, which we call in our language Baidam au Thugau (meaning Baidam low tide in Kala Lagaw Ya, the Western Torres Strait Island dialect).

Zagan Gud Aladhi (star constellation) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 1000 x 700 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

This is usually at the end of Wongai season and signifies the beginning of the turtle mating season also.

Zagal are plentiful at this time, so bigger fish attack and chase them along the reefs. The sharks, which are pregnant, chase the bigger fish to eat.

These are times when there are only low tides in the morning and at night and only high tides during the day, leading up to the big spring tides.

12

13

Zugubal The stars connect the skies with the horizon. The constellations are our orientation to the environment and surroundings, both land and sea.

Zagan Gud Aladhi (star constellation) Zagal are little fish that come around at a particular time of the year.

In this print I express the disappearance of the Baidam (shark) constellation – “zugu bau thithuil”. Our culture’s ontological belief is that during August when the Baidam disappears from the northern sky of the Torres Strait and all you see is other groups of stars, that’s when the first group of migrant birds (birubirul) pass through from Papua New Guinea to mainland Australia. Early morning low tides become regular, which we call in our language Baidam au Thugau (meaning Baidam low tide in Kala Lagaw Ya, the Western Torres Strait Island dialect).

Zagan Gud Aladhi (star constellation) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 1000 x 700 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

This is usually at the end of Wongai season and signifies the beginning of the turtle mating season also.

Zagal are plentiful at this time, so bigger fish attack and chase them along the reefs. The sharks, which are pregnant, chase the bigger fish to eat.

These are times when there are only low tides in the morning and at night and only high tides during the day, leading up to the big spring tides.

12

13

Zugubal

Kulba Yadail (old lyrics) In our culture, the stories and other knowledge of our world have always been handed down orally from generation to generation since time immemorial. It is this knowledge that provides guidance. From the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective, it is their uncles, fathers and sometimes grandfathers who teach them this knowledge. This plays a big role later in life.

Kulba Yadail (old lyrics) 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 845 x 475 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Kulba Yadail teaches us to read the stars, the moon and the sea. This image symbolises Kulba Yadail that describes our environment, our culture and also our identity. The piece is divided into three parts: the constellations of the stars, the land and the four seasons of the Torres Strait. There are important Zugubal (star constellations) that move through the sky and are intimately connected to the four seasons. One of the most important Zugubal is the Baidam (shark) which is closely observed in the Western Torres Straits as a signal for changes in the tides, wind and seasons. The four seasons are represented as Sager (south-east trade winds), Gabu Thornar (winter), Naigai (the calm Northerly wind before monsoon) and Kuki (the monsoon).

The relationship between the stars and the seasons determines when we can cultivate, hunt and harvest the food from the sea and land. The swaying pattern that runs diagonally from the top left to the bottom right symbolises all of this complex knowledge, that is known as Kulba Yadail.

14

15

Zugubal

Kulba Yadail (old lyrics) In our culture, the stories and other knowledge of our world have always been handed down orally from generation to generation since time immemorial. It is this knowledge that provides guidance. From the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective, it is their uncles, fathers and sometimes grandfathers who teach them this knowledge. This plays a big role later in life.

Kulba Yadail (old lyrics) 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 845 x 475 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Kulba Yadail teaches us to read the stars, the moon and the sea. This image symbolises Kulba Yadail that describes our environment, our culture and also our identity. The piece is divided into three parts: the constellations of the stars, the land and the four seasons of the Torres Strait. There are important Zugubal (star constellations) that move through the sky and are intimately connected to the four seasons. One of the most important Zugubal is the Baidam (shark) which is closely observed in the Western Torres Straits as a signal for changes in the tides, wind and seasons. The four seasons are represented as Sager (south-east trade winds), Gabu Thornar (winter), Naigai (the calm Northerly wind before monsoon) and Kuki (the monsoon).

The relationship between the stars and the seasons determines when we can cultivate, hunt and harvest the food from the sea and land. The swaying pattern that runs diagonally from the top left to the bottom right symbolises all of this complex knowledge, that is known as Kulba Yadail.

14

15

Sagulal Choreographed dances commemorate special occasions. With a sound like approaching thunder, the warup expresses the coming of the monsoon and the rain that brings new life.

Mawan Sagulal (Mawa ceremony) In the Western Torres Strait, our ontological beliefs are not only expressed orally but also through dance; in its movement and song. Mawan Thai (the Mawa Ceremony) was once performed widely throughout the Western Torres Strait.

It was a celebration of the arrival of native fruits and yams, such as Ubar or Wongai (native plum), Kowai (bush apple), Mergai (bush berry), Gabau (wild yams) and others. It was our ancestorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; beliefs that Mawa provided these fruits, and Mawan Thai was a celebration and thanksgiving to him for these gifts. But it was more than simple dances, it was a transcendence of the physical, a way to connect with the life forces that flow through our trees, our seas and ourselves.

Mawan Sagulal (Mawa ceremony) 2006 Linocut printed in coloured ink from one block, hand coloured paper: HahnemĂźle 350 GSM matrix size: 1000 x1990 mm edition size: 35 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

The Mawan Thai was celebrated across the Western Torres Strait and extending into the Central Torres Strait, yet each island had its own unique way of expressing and performing it (see A.C. Haddon, 1904:347-349).

The man in the Mawa mask in the foreground orchestrates the movement of the dance. He is anonymous. A line of dancers in the background frame the figure of Mawa, and express their joyfulness of the riches of the crops. The basket below centre represents a good season for Gabau (wild yams).

Kaisi (the onlookers) carefully observe the strong and fit dancers as the ceremony proceeds. My uncle once told me that it was during these ceremonies that marriages were arranged. The members of the tribe that produced the biggest harvest were those most favoured.

Source Haddon, AC 1904 Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expeditions to Torres Straits: Sociology, Magic, and Religion of the Western Islanders.

Vol. 5. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

16

17

Sagulal

Warup (drum) The Warup (drum) is one of the Torres Straitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main ceremonial items. It is used in traditional dances and other ritual performances.

In the Torres Strait some Warups are made on the Islands and some have been traded from the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. They are made out of a special tree which grows in the dense woodlands surrounding the salt pan areas behind the coastal mangroves.

Warup (drum) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 305 x 405 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

The skins on the drum come from large goannas which roam the beaches and feed on fresh turtle eggs. The Warups are then decorated with cassowary feathers and beesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wax and carved with traditional designs which either represent the tribe or what the actual ceremony is about.

The Warup gives the impression of thunder and usually orchestrates the moves at dance ceremonies.

Today we still use the drums on our Islands and pass on the knowledge to our children of how significant this ceremonial item is. The craftsmen making the drums on the Islands are passing on the wonderful skills of carving as well.

20

21

Malu Ya At sea we are sensitive to seasonal changes. We come to expect certain animals during particular times. This is part of the knowledge learnt about the seasons and the sea.

Gainau Au Kubi (flock of Torres Strait pigeons) In Zenadh-Kes (the Torres Strait) since time immemorial, seasonal timeframes were always told by sightings of animals, birds, changes in vegetation, tides, rains and the constellations.

Gainau Au Kubi (flock of Torres Strait pigeons) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 670 x 1010 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

This image is about Gainau (Torres Strait pigeons) crossing over from Papua New Guineaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western Province, South to Cape Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East and West coasts.

When these sightings occur, it indicates to our people that the Soalal (turtle mating) season is on, and the sharks are carrying eggs. It is when they are very vicious and touchy.

This knowledge as been handed down orally from generation to generation by our forefathers.

22

23

Malu Ya At sea we are sensitive to seasonal changes. We come to expect certain animals during particular times. This is part of the knowledge learnt about the seasons and the sea.

Gainau Au Kubi (flock of Torres Strait pigeons) In Zenadh-Kes (the Torres Strait) since time immemorial, seasonal timeframes were always told by sightings of animals, birds, changes in vegetation, tides, rains and the constellations.

Gainau Au Kubi (flock of Torres Strait pigeons) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 670 x 1010 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

This image is about Gainau (Torres Strait pigeons) crossing over from Papua New Guineaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western Province, South to Cape Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East and West coasts.

When these sightings occur, it indicates to our people that the Soalal (turtle mating) season is on, and the sharks are carrying eggs. It is when they are very vicious and touchy.

This knowledge as been handed down orally from generation to generation by our forefathers.

22

23

Malu Ya

Mudhaw Warul (sheltered turtles behind the reef) The giant clamshell in the middle of this image represents the reef and is a feminine symbol indicating the provision of food.

Mudhaw is a shelter like a hut or a place. When the bigger reefs are exposed and dry the turtles move to the middle channels between these exposed reefs. When the strong westerly tides come in and push through the reefs the turtles have to struggle against them. The turtles shelter from these tides behind smaller reefs within the channels, and protect themselves from the surging water. There are several methods of turtle hunting based on the time and tides. In Mudhaw Warul, with the incoming tide, a group hunting turtles drifts through the reef in a canoe. Towards the rear of the inner reefs there is a back-draft of tide and this is where the turtles are resting, waiting for the tide to settle. It is at this time that they are caught. In this process the timing and communication between the crew are vital. The spear thrower must direct the crew to steer the canoe into the optimal position to catch the turtles. The turtles continually come up and down behind the reef, for although they can remain underwater for up to an hour, they must surface at intervals to take a few deep breaths.

24

Mudhaw Warul (sheltered turtles behind the reef) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 895 x 700 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

25

Malu Ya

Mudhaw Warul (sheltered turtles behind the reef) The giant clamshell in the middle of this image represents the reef and is a feminine symbol indicating the provision of food.

Mudhaw is a shelter like a hut or a place. When the bigger reefs are exposed and dry the turtles move to the middle channels between these exposed reefs. When the strong westerly tides come in and push through the reefs the turtles have to struggle against them. The turtles shelter from these tides behind smaller reefs within the channels, and protect themselves from the surging water. There are several methods of turtle hunting based on the time and tides. In Mudhaw Warul, with the incoming tide, a group hunting turtles drifts through the reef in a canoe. Towards the rear of the inner reefs there is a back-draft of tide and this is where the turtles are resting, waiting for the tide to settle. It is at this time that they are caught. In this process the timing and communication between the crew are vital. The spear thrower must direct the crew to steer the canoe into the optimal position to catch the turtles. The turtles continually come up and down behind the reef, for although they can remain underwater for up to an hour, they must surface at intervals to take a few deep breaths.

24

Mudhaw Warul (sheltered turtles behind the reef) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 895 x 700 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

25

Sapural As the wild trees bear fruit, the flying foxes gorge themselves, while flocking together in large numbers.

Sapur Ka Kanaik (stalking the flying fox) As night falls in the village, Flying Foxes or Fruit Bats get into the mangoes, making noise. Screams and cries echo throughout the night.

This activity and noise gets a lot of attention from brown carpet snakes, which hang around the mango trees for the bats. Bats are one of the snakes’ favourite foods.

Sapur Ka Kanaik (stalking the flying fox) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 650 x 1000 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

In this image fruit bats are munching out on mangoes at night, not knowing or taking any notice of a big, brown carpet snake creeping up, stalking the vulnerable one.

Growing up on this island in the early to late 1970’s these sightings were always common during mango season. Our grandfathers, fathers and uncles always used to show us these sightings, known as “Sapur ka Kanaik”.

This term in Kala Lagaw Ya has been passed down from time immemorial, for us to understand and read the nature that surrounds us.

26

27

Sapural As the wild trees bear fruit, the flying foxes gorge themselves, while flocking together in large numbers.

Sapur Ka Kanaik (stalking the flying fox) As night falls in the village, Flying Foxes or Fruit Bats get into the mangoes, making noise. Screams and cries echo throughout the night.

This activity and noise gets a lot of attention from brown carpet snakes, which hang around the mango trees for the bats. Bats are one of the snakes’ favourite foods.

Sapur Ka Kanaik (stalking the flying fox) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 650 x 1000 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

In this image fruit bats are munching out on mangoes at night, not knowing or taking any notice of a big, brown carpet snake creeping up, stalking the vulnerable one.

Growing up on this island in the early to late 1970’s these sightings were always common during mango season. Our grandfathers, fathers and uncles always used to show us these sightings, known as “Sapur ka Kanaik”.

This term in Kala Lagaw Ya has been passed down from time immemorial, for us to understand and read the nature that surrounds us.

26

27

Sapural

Sapur au Kubi (dark flock of bats) During mango, almond and cashew nut season a lot of Sapur (Flying Foxes) come to our village and gardens. When the sun begins to set in the western sky, the Sapur usually come in flocks from the thick mangroves that fringe the coastline.

The Sapur only come out at dusk to raid the fruit trees so that people cannot see them. Otherwise they would be targeted by hunters and chased away. Despite this they do make a lot of noise as they feed.

Sapur au Kubi (dark flock of bats) 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 693 x 995 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

The Sapur suck the juice out of the fruit and dispose of the rest making a lot of mess under the trees. They do this all night until morning breaks when they take flight back to their isolated, thick scrubs and mangroves.

Growing up in the islands in the 1970s, these sightings were common during fruit season. It is our uncles who tell us that whenever flocks of Sapur approach the gardens, the fruit is ripe. This image shows a large number of Sapur flying to the village to feed on the fruit trees. They circle above the trees to choose where they will feed for the evening.

28

29

Sapural

Sapur au Kubi (dark flock of bats) During mango, almond and cashew nut season a lot of Sapur (Flying Foxes) come to our village and gardens. When the sun begins to set in the western sky, the Sapur usually come in flocks from the thick mangroves that fringe the coastline.

The Sapur only come out at dusk to raid the fruit trees so that people cannot see them. Otherwise they would be targeted by hunters and chased away. Despite this they do make a lot of noise as they feed.

Sapur au Kubi (dark flock of bats) 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 693 x 995 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

The Sapur suck the juice out of the fruit and dispose of the rest making a lot of mess under the trees. They do this all night until morning breaks when they take flight back to their isolated, thick scrubs and mangroves.

Growing up in the islands in the 1970s, these sightings were common during fruit season. It is our uncles who tell us that whenever flocks of Sapur approach the gardens, the fruit is ripe. This image shows a large number of Sapur flying to the village to feed on the fruit trees. They circle above the trees to choose where they will feed for the evening.

28

29

Buai Girelal Our learned protocols include the respect of family and humble gratitude towards acknowledging kinship.

Urapun Kai Buai (one big kin) Torres Strait Islanders are all related to each other; or so my grandparents, uncles and aunties told me when I was young.

Growing up in the islands has made me see and realise that.

The sharing of food and traditional visits and staying over, in the village or on neighbouring islands, called Garab Thiay, are important kinship events.

Urapun Kai Buai (one big kin) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: HahnemĂźle 350gsm matrix size: 1000 x 2500 mm edition size: 35 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Wongai is a native fruit of our region and I use it as a metaphor for kinship. Therefore it is placed at the very centre of this piece. The wavy lines going outwards represent the movement of relatives to all four corners of the Straits. This happened mainly through intermarriage.

Identical patterns on either side of the work represent relatives to the East, West, North and South of our region. Tight, strong patterns represent the bonds between extended families. These were maintained through the practice of culture, through the choreography of dances, song and through Garab Thiay traditional visits.

In this work the seeds of the Wongai represent the beginnings of a family on another island. The leaves or plants represent the family growing there. The bearing of fruit represents a generation of children.

Today the increase in intermarriage has made it far more complicated for modern Torres Strait Islanders to understand their family relationships. The patterns on the far left and right represent the fact that it is very important to our current elders to pass on the knowledge of these movements of people; for our kinship knowledge to be available to the younger generations, so they can know and consider them.

In the late 1800s the first genealogy of the Torres Strait was recorded by Rivers as a part of the A. C. Haddon expedition.

Later, in 1901, it was released in six volumes and through the journals and tables of family trees you can understand these relationships.

All of this has inspired me to turn the oral history and written journals into a work of visual art and to call it Urapun Kai Buai (one big kin).

30

31

Buai Girelal

Links This image is an expression on Trade, Language and Inter-marriage between Mugie Daudai (Papua New Guinea), Kie Daudaia (Australia) and our homeland.

Trade once flowed throughout the Torres Strait region like a crawling snake leaving its tracks in time and its influence on the islands as we see today. Our people traded many things between the islands for many reasons, most were to the western province of PNG for they had bigger trees growing along their rivers to build dugout canoes and a larger land mass with many resources.

Links 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 997 x 675 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Traders also came from as far as Cape York Peninsula’s East and West coasts, this meant that they had to connect and socialise with the Islanders to assist in navigation through our treacherous waters, speak the language and to help them understand when they’d reach their destination on the PNG coast, and vice versa for the Papuans heading to the mainland of Australia. During these connections many skills, methods and knowledge about survival were shared and adopted to our societal ways of living.

Most of them were accepted by families in additional kinship, this is why some families on the islands have bloodlines to both Aboriginals and Papuans. This is also why we have a special “Treaty” in place between the Torres Strait and the Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Since the early 1900’s when pearl shells were discovered in this region, people from other ethnic groups (eg South Sea Islanders, Malaysians, Japanese etc.) have been attracted to the region to work and trade in this industry. This is how the Torres Strait became a multicultural society.

The five vertical wave patterned lines represent the cluster groups affected in the region. The five horizontal patterned lines represent lines of kinship between islands. The two intricate areas on the top and bottom represent Papua New Guinea and Australia. Characters depict what was traded eg shells for chest pendants, parts of ceremonies that were adopted etc. The wavy line running horizontally represents the turbulent current which flows through the Straits from the Coral Sea to the Timor and Arafura Seas.

All this is what makes our culture significant, living in the middle of two land masses and the waterways that link the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. All the aspects of those movements of so long ago have impacted on our lives and as a result we are all linked in many ways, therefore I title this piece “Links”.

34

35

Buai Girelal

Links This image is an expression on Trade, Language and Inter-marriage between Mugie Daudai (Papua New Guinea), Kie Daudaia (Australia) and our homeland.

Trade once flowed throughout the Torres Strait region like a crawling snake leaving its tracks in time and its influence on the islands as we see today. Our people traded many things between the islands for many reasons, most were to the western province of PNG for they had bigger trees growing along their rivers to build dugout canoes and a larger land mass with many resources.

Links 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 997 x 675 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Traders also came from as far as Cape York Peninsula’s East and West coasts, this meant that they had to connect and socialise with the Islanders to assist in navigation through our treacherous waters, speak the language and to help them understand when they’d reach their destination on the PNG coast, and vice versa for the Papuans heading to the mainland of Australia. During these connections many skills, methods and knowledge about survival were shared and adopted to our societal ways of living.

Most of them were accepted by families in additional kinship, this is why some families on the islands have bloodlines to both Aboriginals and Papuans. This is also why we have a special “Treaty” in place between the Torres Strait and the Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Since the early 1900’s when pearl shells were discovered in this region, people from other ethnic groups (eg South Sea Islanders, Malaysians, Japanese etc.) have been attracted to the region to work and trade in this industry. This is how the Torres Strait became a multicultural society.

The five vertical wave patterned lines represent the cluster groups affected in the region. The five horizontal patterned lines represent lines of kinship between islands. The two intricate areas on the top and bottom represent Papua New Guinea and Australia. Characters depict what was traded eg shells for chest pendants, parts of ceremonies that were adopted etc. The wavy line running horizontally represents the turbulent current which flows through the Straits from the Coral Sea to the Timor and Arafura Seas.

All this is what makes our culture significant, living in the middle of two land masses and the waterways that link the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. All the aspects of those movements of so long ago have impacted on our lives and as a result we are all linked in many ways, therefore I title this piece “Links”.

34

35

Buai Girelal

Links This image is an expression on Trade, Language and Inter-marriage between Mugie Daudai (Papua New Guinea), Kie Daudaia (Australia) and our homeland.

Trade once flowed throughout the Torres Strait region like a crawling snake leaving its tracks in time and its influence on the islands as we see today. Our people traded many things between the islands for many reasons, most were to the western province of PNG for they had bigger trees growing along their rivers to build dugout canoes and a larger land mass with many resources.

Links 2006 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 997 x 675 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Traders also came from as far as Cape York Peninsula’s East and West coasts, this meant that they had to connect and socialise with the Islanders to assist in navigation through our treacherous waters, speak the language and to help them understand when they’d reach their destination on the PNG coast, and vice versa for the Papuans heading to the mainland of Australia. During these connections many skills, methods and knowledge about survival were shared and adopted to our societal ways of living.

Most of them were accepted by families in additional kinship, this is why some families on the islands have bloodlines to both Aboriginals and Papuans. This is also why we have a special “Treaty” in place between the Torres Strait and the Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Since the early 1900’s when pearl shells were discovered in this region, people from other ethnic groups (eg South Sea Islanders, Malaysians, Japanese etc.) have been attracted to the region to work and trade in this industry. This is how the Torres Strait became a multicultural society.

The five vertical wave patterned lines represent the cluster groups affected in the region. The five horizontal patterned lines represent lines of kinship between islands. The two intricate areas on the top and bottom represent Papua New Guinea and Australia. Characters depict what was traded eg shells for chest pendants, parts of ceremonies that were adopted etc. The wavy line running horizontally represents the turbulent current which flows through the Straits from the Coral Sea to the Timor and Arafura Seas.

All this is what makes our culture significant, living in the middle of two land masses and the waterways that link the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. All the aspects of those movements of so long ago have impacted on our lives and as a result we are all linked in many ways, therefore I title this piece “Links”.

34

35

Buai Girelal

Gudakathurai (consultation) This term translates along the line of, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ask and it shall be given unto you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; In our culture it is very important that you ask permission of the appropriate people before you take something.

For example, you must ask the dugong clan leader before spearing dugong for ceremonies or the events of neighbouring tribes. To marry into another family you as a young man would have to talk to your Wadhuam (uncle).

You must ask before you break fruits, such as coconuts, from certain trees of other family members.

Gudakathurai (consultation) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 300 x 300 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

It also extends to the use of any intellectual property of associated clans or tribes

36

37

Buai Girelal

Gudakathurai (consultation) This term translates along the line of, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ask and it shall be given unto you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; In our culture it is very important that you ask permission of the appropriate people before you take something.

For example, you must ask the dugong clan leader before spearing dugong for ceremonies or the events of neighbouring tribes. To marry into another family you as a young man would have to talk to your Wadhuam (uncle).

You must ask before you break fruits, such as coconuts, from certain trees of other family members.

Gudakathurai (consultation) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 300 x 300 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

It also extends to the use of any intellectual property of associated clans or tribes

36

37

Bathu Ya There are many resources and activities at the beach, both in the water and along the shore. There are dangers too: stonefish and stingrays; luckily bush medicine plants are also found there.

Pulah (medicine from the beach) Pulah vines commonly grow wild on beaches surrounding our beautiful island in Zenadh-Kes (the Torres Strait).

It is the source of one of our respiratory medicines.

Also, whenever you are stung by stingray barbs or stonefish, this is the vine that you mash and put on the sore. The sap draws out the poison. With a stonefish sting the pain comes and throbs when the tide rises.

Pulah (medicine from the beach) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 698 x 903 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

It is so important to know the bush medicines that have been handed down from generation to generation. Pulah is one of them.

38

39

Bathu Ya There are many resources and activities at the beach, both in the water and along the shore. There are dangers too: stonefish and stingrays; luckily bush medicine plants are also found there.

Pulah (medicine from the beach) Pulah vines commonly grow wild on beaches surrounding our beautiful island in Zenadh-Kes (the Torres Strait).

It is the source of one of our respiratory medicines.

Also, whenever you are stung by stingray barbs or stonefish, this is the vine that you mash and put on the sore. The sap draws out the poison. With a stonefish sting the pain comes and throbs when the tide rises.

Pulah (medicine from the beach) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 698 x 903 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

It is so important to know the bush medicines that have been handed down from generation to generation. Pulah is one of them.

38

39

Bathu Ya

Wapil Nathaik (roasting fish) After a while spent early morning spear fishing there usually comes a time when we need to rest under a nice shady tree and revive. This image depicts an uncle and two boys resting during the midday heat.

During this time the uncle teaches the boys the appropriate way of roasting fish by showing how the fire is prepared to make coals only, in order to cook the fish. He also teaches them how live branches of trees are put across the coals to lay the fish on.

Wapil Nathaik (roasting fish) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 305 x 300 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

They also hear additional information from their uncle that they need to learn and bear in mind during spear fishing excursions.

It is the responsibility of uncles to pass this knowledge onto their nephews as part of our cultural protocol.

40

41

Bathu Ya

Wapil Nathaik (roasting fish) After a while spent early morning spear fishing there usually comes a time when we need to rest under a nice shady tree and revive. This image depicts an uncle and two boys resting during the midday heat.

During this time the uncle teaches the boys the appropriate way of roasting fish by showing how the fire is prepared to make coals only, in order to cook the fish. He also teaches them how live branches of trees are put across the coals to lay the fish on.

Wapil Nathaik (roasting fish) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 305 x 300 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

They also hear additional information from their uncle that they need to learn and bear in mind during spear fishing excursions.

It is the responsibility of uncles to pass this knowledge onto their nephews as part of our cultural protocol.

40

41

Bathu Ya

Thadharal Sinik (spear fishing) Thadharal is spear fishing. It is best to do this early in the morning when the tide comes in slowly, filling up the lagoons and seagrass beds around the surrounding reefs of our islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beaches and mangroves.

This fishing process takes certain skills which are usually taught by Wadhuams (uncles), such as identifying the tides which bring fish, how to spot them and how to throw the spear.

Thadharal Sinik (spear fishing) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 695 x 900 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

In this image an uncle and two nephews are spear fishing in the morning rising tide. They are all concentrating on the schools of fish coming in; the two young men practise their skills.

It is common that when there is plenty of fish the frigate birds (seagulls) and other sea birds are always not far from these activities, waiting to pick up the wounded ones. The thinking of the men and the birds are as one; concentrating on the fish.

Spear fishing has its dangers as well, especially when you are walking. The men have to watch out for standing on stingrays, stonefish or other sharp shells lying on the reef where they walk in search of incoming fish.

The two young men are also being taught how to identify these dangers.

42

43

Bathu Ya

Thadharal Sinik (spear fishing) Thadharal is spear fishing. It is best to do this early in the morning when the tide comes in slowly, filling up the lagoons and seagrass beds around the surrounding reefs of our islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beaches and mangroves.

This fishing process takes certain skills which are usually taught by Wadhuams (uncles), such as identifying the tides which bring fish, how to spot them and how to throw the spear.

Thadharal Sinik (spear fishing) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 695 x 900 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

In this image an uncle and two nephews are spear fishing in the morning rising tide. They are all concentrating on the schools of fish coming in; the two young men practise their skills.

It is common that when there is plenty of fish the frigate birds (seagulls) and other sea birds are always not far from these activities, waiting to pick up the wounded ones. The thinking of the men and the birds are as one; concentrating on the fish.

Spear fishing has its dangers as well, especially when you are walking. The men have to watch out for standing on stingrays, stonefish or other sharp shells lying on the reef where they walk in search of incoming fish.

The two young men are also being taught how to identify these dangers.

42

43

Mararm Ar Pui’ Iw Aidail Seasonal crops are associated with the coming of the rains. For the ground and tree foods each type of seasonal rain is aligned with stages of cultivation.

Gabau Sir Sir (tangle of yam bushes) From the beginning and throughout the monsoon, yams grow wild on our islands in the Western Torres Strait. There are many different yams such as kuthai, genine, sarur, and gabau, just to name a few. The sighting of these yam bushes is known as Gabau Sir Sir.

Gabau Sir Sir (tangle of yam bushes) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Hahnemüle 350gsm matrix size: 1545 x 662 mm edition size: 50 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Yams have been one of the main food sources for Islanders since time immemorial. They ate this food seasonally with other foods that are harvested during the time of “digging up the yam” such as turtle and dugong. Yams are one of the most common plants which make up our diverse bushland along the hillside.

44

45

Mararm Ar Pui’ Iw Aidail Seasonal crops are associated with the coming of the rains. For the ground and tree foods each type of seasonal rain is aligned with stages of cultivation.

Gabau Sir Sir (tangle of yam bushes) From the beginning and throughout the monsoon, yams grow wild on our islands in the Western Torres Strait. There are many different yams such as kuthai, genine, sarur, and gabau, just to name a few. The sighting of these yam bushes is known as Gabau Sir Sir.

Gabau Sir Sir (tangle of yam bushes) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Hahnemüle 350gsm matrix size: 1545 x 662 mm edition size: 50 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Yams have been one of the main food sources for Islanders since time immemorial. They ate this food seasonally with other foods that are harvested during the time of “digging up the yam” such as turtle and dugong. Yams are one of the most common plants which make up our diverse bushland along the hillside.

44

45

Mararm Ar Pui’ Iw Aidail

Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time) There is a certain time to dig up wild bush yams. This is identified by observing vegetation, along with other natural changes such as the position of the Zugubal (constellations).

These signify to our people the timeframe of seasonal changes, the rhythm of our region’s ecosystem, and the agricultural work based around the phases of the moon.

Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Hahnemüle 350gsm matrix size: 1545 x 658 mm edition size: 50 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Throughout the monsoon the yam vine grows wild and green.

Then comes a time around August, when the grass and bush land begin to dry up and the leaves and vines of the yam start to turn brown.

This sight indicates to our people that it is Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time).

46

47

Mararm Ar Pui’ Iw Aidail

Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time) There is a certain time to dig up wild bush yams. This is identified by observing vegetation, along with other natural changes such as the position of the Zugubal (constellations).

These signify to our people the timeframe of seasonal changes, the rhythm of our region’s ecosystem, and the agricultural work based around the phases of the moon.

Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time) 2008 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Hahnemüle 350gsm matrix size: 1545 x 658 mm edition size: 50 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

Throughout the monsoon the yam vine grows wild and green.

Then comes a time around August, when the grass and bush land begin to dry up and the leaves and vines of the yam start to turn brown.

This sight indicates to our people that it is Gabau Ahgai Thonar (yam dig up time).

46

47

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail

Ari Sulam Ka (calling on the rain) The frogs call up to the rain spirits, who provide the water in preparation for new life in the cycle of nature. The work asks us to consider what it is that we should be asking for and to acknowledge the interconnected and dependent nature of survival. The rains mark the beginning of a new cycle, and it is at this time that if you ask for what you need, you will receive.

Ari Sulam Ka (calling on the rain) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: HahnemĂźle 350gsm matrix size: 1005 x 1615 mm edition size: 35 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

While the rain signifies seasonal change, there are many types of rain, and they have different names. Ubarau Peoythurathai Ari is the light rain associated with Wongai, Malgui Ari is steady rain ideal for planting and Laga Sizarai Ari is the rain of the first monsoon for the season and is associated with very heavy downpours.

48

49

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail

Ari Sulam Ka (calling on the rain) The frogs call up to the rain spirits, who provide the water in preparation for new life in the cycle of nature. The work asks us to consider what it is that we should be asking for and to acknowledge the interconnected and dependent nature of survival. The rains mark the beginning of a new cycle, and it is at this time that if you ask for what you need, you will receive.

Ari Sulam Ka (calling on the rain) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block paper: HahnemĂźle 350gsm matrix size: 1005 x 1615 mm edition size: 35 publisher: KickArts printer: Theo Tremblay

While the rain signifies seasonal change, there are many types of rain, and they have different names. Ubarau Peoythurathai Ari is the light rain associated with Wongai, Malgui Ari is steady rain ideal for planting and Laga Sizarai Ari is the rain of the first monsoon for the season and is associated with very heavy downpours.

48

49

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail

Aubau (noni fruit) This plant has been used as a medicine plant in Zenadh Kes for many generations. It is used for respiratory and digestinal ailments. Aubau is one of the most important plant medicines of the Islands. Sometimes the leaves are boiled and the infusion consumed by drinking. Modern commercial variations of noni fruit medicine are available through health food retailers.

Aubau (noni fruit) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 1000 x 698 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

The print depicts people of all different ages gathered around the Aubau tree consuming the fruit.

52

53

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail

Aubau (noni fruit) This plant has been used as a medicine plant in Zenadh Kes for many generations. It is used for respiratory and digestinal ailments. Aubau is one of the most important plant medicines of the Islands. Sometimes the leaves are boiled and the infusion consumed by drinking. Modern commercial variations of noni fruit medicine are available through health food retailers.

Aubau (noni fruit) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 1000 x 698 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

The print depicts people of all different ages gathered around the Aubau tree consuming the fruit.

52

53

Billy Missi CV Subject and Themes Melanesian influence. Inspired by cultural heritage and traditions and expresses a deep concern for the Torres Strait environment.

Exhibitions – Solo 2008 – Urapun Kai Buai (One Big Kin), KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns QLD 2007 – Mikiya Imau (A Glimpse), George Patton Gallery, Melbourne,VIC 2004 – Urapun Muinu Garasar, “Many In One”, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Thursday Island, QLD.

Exhibitions – Group 2008 – Blurred Boundaries, artisan, Bris. QLD; Paradise, State Library QLD. 2007 – Blurred Boundaries, KickArts; Mai Piko Mai, Bishop Museum, Hawai’i, USA; Caring for Country Exhibition, Cardwell, QLD; Ailan Currents, KickArts & Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, QLD; Looking Forward Looking Blak, KickArts; Piko Gathering, East Hawai’i Cultural Centre, Hilo, Hawai’i, USA; Lagau Githal, Dreaming Festival, Woodford, QLD; 3rd Anniversary Exhibition, Gab Titui Cultural Centre; Maritime Stories, TANKS Art Centre, Cairns, QLD. 2006 – 7th Chamalieres International Triennial of Stamp and Original Engravings, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Chamalieres. France; 31st Fremantle Print Award, Perth, WA; Gatherings 2, Gab Titui Cultural Centre & KickArts.

2005 – Postcard Show, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, QLD; Top Ten, Commonwealth Bank, Brisbane, QLD; Decade of Collecting 1995 – 2005, Cairns Regional Gallery.

2004 – Gelam Nguzu Kazi (Gelam My Son), Gab Titui Cultural Centre; Out of Country, The Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA & Gallery 1601 Embassy of Australia, Washington DC, USA. 2003 – Showing Off #2, KickArts & Platform Exhibition Space, Flinders St Station, Melbourne, VIC; Art Miami, USA & Arco, Madrid, Spain, Represented

by Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC. 2002 – Zugubau Thithuil, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC; Silk Cut Award, Glen Eira City Gallery, Caulfield VIC & Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, QLD; Maiam Sewngapa Algeda, Torres Strait, QLD. 2001 – Gatherings, Brisbane Convention Centre, QLD; Thaigy Minaral, Beautiful Patterns, Port Kennedy Hall, Thursday Island, QLD; Trackin’ Kultja, Australian National Museum, Canberra, ACT. 2000 – Bitching Prints, Theo Tremblay of ‘No Fixed Press’

Perc Tucker Regional Gallery; Cairns Regional Gallery; Duaringa Shire Gallery, Blackwater; CQU, Rockhampton; Gladstone Regional Art Gallery & Museum; Harvey Bay Regional Gallery; Queensland Museum.

2001 – 2004 Gelam Nguzu Kazi (Gelam My Son), Touring Exhibition Museum of Sydney; Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, BC, Canada; Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK; Brisbane City Gallery, QLD; Daymien Minton Gallery, Newcastle, NSW; Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra, ACT; Alcaston Gallery; New England Regional Art Museum, Armadale, NSW; Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW; Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Stanthorpe, QLD; Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA; Bendigo Art Gallery, VIC; Mildura Art Gallery, VIC; Wagga Wagga Regional Gallery; Manly Art Gallery, NSW; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery; Noosa Regional Art Gallery; Cairns Regional Gallery.

2000 The Art of Place, 5th National Indigenous Heritage Art Award Old Parliament House, ACT; Wagga Wagga Regional Gallery; Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute; State Library of NSW; The Araluen Centre of Arts and the Environment, Alice Springs, NT; John Curtin Gallery, University of Technology, Perth, WA.

Collections Australian Consulate, Guangzhou, Peoples’ Republic of China; ABS – CBN Studio, Makati City, Philippines; Australian Embassy, RCBC, Makati City, Philippines; Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville; Issac Art Centre, Waimea, Hawai’i, USA; Tony Haurush Collection, New York, USA; The Chistensen Fund Collection, Palo Alto, California, USA; U.N.E.S.C.O; Multi-Disciplinary Arts, Melbourne University, VIC; Artbank, Sydney, NSW; KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns, QLD; Cairns Regional Gallery; Torres Strait Regional Authority, Thursday Island, QLD; Badu Island State School, Badu, QLD; NGA, Canberra, ACT; Canberra Office of Torres Strait Affairs; Parliament House, Canberra, ACT; Cambridge University Museum, UK; Victoria and Albert Museum, UK; University of British Columbia, Museum of Anthropology, Canada; Queensland Art Gallery, QLD; Australian Catholic University Gallery, VIC; D.A.T.S.I.P.D Regional Office, Thursday Island, QLD; University of Wollongong, NSW; Gordon Darling Collection, VIC; City of Fremantle, Perth, WA; Holmesglen Institute of TAFE Collection, VIC.

Awards 2006 – Winner, Non Acquisitive Prize 31st Fremantle Art Awards, Fremantle, WA 2005 – Recognition Achievement Award Federal Parliament’ The Hon Warren Entsch for ‘Australia Day Award.’; Australia Day Award & Medallion from Torres Shire Council for Art & Culture 2004 – Academic Achievement Award Parliament on behalf of the people of Australia and Member for Liechardt The Hon Warren Entsch for “Urapun Muinu Garasar” & Gelam Nguzu Kazi Touring Exhibitions 2000 - Academic Achievement Award Federal Parliament Indigenous Heritage Art Awards; Highly commended 5th National Heritage Art Awards

Public Art Works IBIS Supermarket, Kubin, Moa Island, Torres Strait, QLD Community Hall, Kubin, Moa Island, Torres Strait, QLD Primary Health Care Centre, Kubin, Moa Island, Torres Strait, QLD

Bibliography 2008 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Queensland Australia Calendar, QIAMEA, Ailan Currents: contemporary printmaking from the Torres Strait, KickArts, Cairns, QLD Looking Forward Looking Blak, KickArts, Cairns, QLD Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet www.healthinfonet.e.c.u.edu.au Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander “Births, Deaths & Marriages Certificates” for Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Exhibitions – Touring 2006 – 2008 Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Gelam My Son, International Touring Exhibition by Artbank & D.F.A.T. R.G .Casey Building, Canberra, ACT; Holiday Inn, Port Moresby, PNG; Australian High Commission; Noumea, New Caledonia; Lycée Agricole de Pouembout in the Northern Province; Noumea, New Caledonia; Westpac St James Theatre, Wellington, New Zealand; Vietart Centre, Laos, Vietnam; Monument Books, Ban Mixay, Chantabouly District, Vietiane, Laos; Youth Cultural House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Yuchenco Museum, Makati City, Phillippines; The National Gallery, Phranakom, Bangkok, Thailand; The National Museum, Jakarta, Indonesia; Sha Tin Community Hall, Kowloon & Central Plaza, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; Guandong Museum of Art, Er-sha Island, Guangzhou, Peoples’ Republic of China.

2002 – 2005 Native Title Business, Australian Touring Exhibition Carnegie Gallery, Hobart; University Gallery, Launceston; Melbourne Museum; Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale; Wagga Wagga Regional Gallery; The Exhibition Gallery, Wangaratta; National Museum of Australia; Boomalli, Sydney; Hastings Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie; Palins Gallery, Moree; Noosa Regional Gallery; Toowoomba Regional Gallery;

54

55

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail

Aubau (noni fruit) This plant has been used as a medicine plant in Zenadh Kes for many generations. It is used for respiratory and digestinal ailments. Aubau is one of the most important plant medicines of the Islands. Sometimes the leaves are boiled and the infusion consumed by drinking. Modern commercial variations of noni fruit medicine are available through health food retailers.

Aubau (noni fruit) 2007 Linocut printed in black ink from one block, hand coloured paper: Arches BFK 300 GSM matrix size: 1000 x 698 mm edition size: 90 publisher: KickArts printer: Ron McBurnie

The print depicts people of all different ages gathered around the Aubau tree consuming the fruit.

52

53

Zugubal The stars connect the skies with the horizon. The constellations are our orientation to the environment and surroundings, both land and sea.

Malu Ya At sea we are sensitive to seasonal changes. We come to expect certain animals during particular times. This is part of the knowledge learned about the seasons and the sea.

Sagulal Choreographed dances commemorate special occasions.

With a sound like approaching thunder, the warup expresses the coming of the monsoon and the rain that brings new life.

Sapural As the wild trees bear fruit, the flying foxes gorge themselves, while flocking together in large numbers.

Buai Girelal Our learned protocols include the respect of family and humble gratitude towards acknowledging kinship.

Bathu Ya There are many resources and activities at the beach, both in the water and along the shore. There are dangers too: stonefish and stingrays; luckily bush medicine plants are also found there.

Mararm Ar Puiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Iw Aidail Seasonal crops are associated with the coming of the rains.

For ground and tree foods each type of seasonal rain is aligned with stages of cultivation.

Billy Missi Urapun Kai Buai Contemporary lino prints from the Torres Strait