Ghost Nets of the Ocean - Au Karem Ira Lamar Lu by ReDot Fine Art Gallery

G host N ets of the Ocean A u K arem

ira

L amar L u

G host N ets of the Ocean A u K arem

ira

L amar L u

G host N ets of the Ocean A u K arem This book is published in conjunction with the exhibition, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean: Voices for the Sea from Australia’s Torres Strait Islanders, presented at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, from 1 June to 6 August 2017. Copyright 2017 Asian Civilisations Museum All rights reserved

ira

L amar L u

Voices for the Sea from Australia’s Torres Strait Islanders

All artworks and photographs are copyright of the artists or institutions, and are reproduced in this catalogue with their permission. They may not be further reproduced in any manner without the permission of the artists or their cultural representatives. Published by the Asian Civilisations Museum 1 Empress Place, Singapore www.acm.org.sg ISBN 978-981-11-3243-8 Exhibition curators: Lim Chye Hong and Lynnette Griffiths Edited by Cheah Hwei-Fe’n and Lim Chye Hong Designed by Sarah and Schooling, Singapore Printed by Dominie Press, Singapore National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Lim, Chye Hong. Ghost nets of the ocean : voices for the sea from Australia’s Torres Strait Islanders / exhibition curators ; Lim Chye Hong, and Lynnette Griffiths ; edited by Cheah Hwei-Fe’n and Lim Chye Hong. -- First edition. Singapore : Asian Civilisations Museum, [2017]. p. cm. ISBN 978-981-11-3243-8 (paperback) 1. Contemporary art--Exhibitions. 2. Ghost nets stories, Australian. 3. Ghost nets stories, Australian—Singapore—Exhibitions. 4. Ghost nets stories, Australian—Australia—Exhibitions. I. Griffiths, Lynnette. II. Cheah, Hwei-Fe’n, editor. III. Title. DDC704.9437—dc23

OCN 987274700

This publication has been made possible by the Australian Government Department of Communications and the Arts. Members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are advised that people mentioned in writing or included in photographs in the following pages may have passed away. A note on spelling The spelling of Torres Strait Islander words may differ between publications and sources. The authors have therefore used the forms preferred by the artists of the works discussed here. Image credits Maps illustrated by Sarah and Schooling All photographs are by Lynnette Griffiths and Erub Arts unless specified otherwise.

Lim Chye Hong and Lynnette Griffiths, with contributions from Ingrid Hoffman and Riki Gunn

Contents

Statement from the Co-Chair of the Australia-Singapore Arts Group Mrs Rosa Daniel Dr Mathew Trinca

Foreword from the Director Mr Kennie Ting

Message from the Australian Minister for the Arts Senator the Honourable Mitch Fifield

An Introduction to Erub, People, Culture, and History Lynnette Griffiths and Diann Lui

Ailan Kastom and Art: The Labyrinthine Relay Between Past, Present, and Imagined Future Lim Chye Hong

An Ocean Fable Ingrid Hoffmann

The Ghost Net Story Riki Gunn

Designing Space: Island, Reefs, and Ocean Edmund Ng and Max Ng

Tiny Turtles Project Sharon Chen

Catalogue of Works

List of Works

Artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Biographies

Authors and Contributors

98 Acknowledgements Erub Erwer Meta Asian Civilisations Museum

Statement from the Co-Chair of the Australia-Singapore Arts Group

Mrs Rosa Daniel

Dr Mathew Trinca

The Australia-Singapore Arts Group (ASAG) builds on the commitment made at the joint signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Arts and Culture in June 2015, to further collaboration and strengthen the arts and cultural sectors of both countries. Established in May 2016, ASAG will encourage and enrich arts and cultural partnerships between Singapore and Australia over the next five years. Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean is an exhibition of colourful woven sculptures of turtles, sharks, sardines, jellyfish, and coral made from ocean debris, ghost nets, and recycled plastics. This is the first exhibition at a public institution in Singapore featuring contemporary art from Torres Strait Islanders. While the works showcase the Islanders’ connection to the sea—a theme dear to us in a port city like Singapore—the exhibition is really about the power of art to express sensitivity to the world we live in, and more specifically, an awareness of ocean pollution, recycling, and conservation of the marine environment. This art touches on issues such as the conservation and preservation of natural resources in order to highlight the interconnectedness of all things. We are delighted that the message is being shared with schools, both local and international, through student participation in the Tiny Turtles project. We thank Dr Mathew Trinca, my co-chair for ASAG, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from Erub Arts, the Australian High Commission, and staff from the National Heritage Board and the Asian Civilisations Museum for their efforts in putting this exhibition together. We are also grateful to private collectors and individuals who have lent works of art and support to this meaningful project.

It is a great pleasure to see this exhibition, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean, hosted at the Asian Civilisations Museum— one of the premier arts institutions in Singapore. These works from the artists of Erub, in the Torres Strait to the north of mainland Australia, speak to our common interest in the health and well-being of the world’s oceans. They are works that have been rightly celebrated around the world for their aesthetic values and their advocacy of environmental issues. Together with my colleague Mrs Rosa Daniel, co-chair of the Australia-Singapore Arts Group and the chief executive officer of the National Arts Council, I am delighted to see this project come to fruition. The exhibition comes at a time when our nations are focusing attention on building upon the already strong links between our communities, through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Both countries are committed to ensuring that the arts and cultural sectors play a key role in underwriting our partnership, to mutual advantage. I want to thank the many people in Singapore and Australia who have made this possible—in particular, the many people in this country, at the National Heritage Board and the Asian Civilisations Museum, the ReDot Fine Art Gallery, and the Australian High Commission who have worked so hard. Of course, the stars of the show are the remarkable artists of Erub and their collaborators, whose creative vision and enterprise move us all. Arts and cultural exchanges of this kind strengthen the connections between peoples in both our countries, and encourage us to reflect upon and build our sense of common aspirations and ambitions. It is through the arts that I believe we come to better understand ourselves and the world in which we live. In an age marked by profound economic and social changes around the globe, that can only be a very good thing.

Mrs Rosa Daniel Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council Co-Chair, Australia-Singapore Arts Group

Dr Mathew Trinca Director, National Museum of Australia Co-Chair, Australia-Singapore Arts Group

Foreword from the Director Kennie Ting

Message from the Australian Minister for the Arts Senator the Honourable Mitch Fifield

The Asian Civilisations Museum is devoted to preserving the cultural heritage of Asia, especially the ancestral cultures of Singaporeans. This includes China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Islamic world. More recently, the museum has focused on the long historical relationships between these cultures, many of which are connected by the sea. The Torres Strait is located between the northern Cape York Peninsula and the borders of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. There are over 200 islands in the region with at least eighteen being home to present-day communities. We are most delighted to introduce audiences in Singapore to the art of the Torres Strait Islanders, one of two distinct Indigenous groups of Australia. Au Karem ira Lamar Lu, literally Ghost Nets of the Ocean, is a presentation of works from one of the most remote communities in Australia, Erub or Darnley Island, and two of their non-Indigenous collaborators. By recycling environmentally destructive materials and turning them into works of art, this exhibition draws powerful inspiration both from the ocean and stories of Indigenous life in the Torres Strait Islands and their dependence on the ocean. Concurrently, animals, both real and imaginary, have occupied an important place in art. Au Karem ira Lamar Lu serves as a counterpoint to a popular motif in Asian Art, animals in marine environments. Fish, crabs, and turtles appear in textiles, paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.The symbolic language of these motifs offers a glimpse of the various cultures. For example, the fish symbolises life and good fortune in Indian art. For the Chinese, the fish or yu 魚 has a homophonous relationship to surplus and abundance, yu 余. According to the Quran, the fish is a symbol of eternal life. In retrospect, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on the power of art and its ability to bring people together as we seek to inspire, engage, and educate children and the young at heart through these magnificent sculptures.

Kennie Ting Group Director of Museums, National Heritage Board Director, Asian Civilisations Museum

At first glance Singapore and Erub, in the Torres Strait Islands, appear to have little in common. Singapore is home to more than 5.5 million people. In contrast, Erub, to the north of mainland Australia, is home to just 400 people. Yet Singapore and Erub are both maritime communities dependant on their surrounding seas. Singapore’s history is as an important strategic port in the region. The Torres Strait Islands too have a long history of active engagement with neighbouring countries, and Erub’s daily life and practice is centred on the ocean. Their cultural ties to the sea are at the heart of how they understand their place in the world. I am delighted therefore to see this exhibition, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean, on display in Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum. The stunning sculptures from the artists of Erub and their mainland collaborators reveal their continuing focus on the environmental health of our seas. Fashioned from abandoned nets that wash up on the beaches of Erub, the beautiful works are important reflections on how we humans are affecting the world’s oceans. Their message is one with resonance for us all. This project, jointly undertaken by Erub Arts and the National Heritage Board, hosted at the Asian Civilisations Museum and supported by the Australian Government and the ReDot Fine Art Gallery, marks an important step in the development of arts and cultural exchange between Australia and Singapore. It is one of the first collaborations between our nations that has been assisted by the Australia-Singapore Arts Group, established under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two nations. I am particularly pleased that the Australian Government has been able to assist with funding to ensure that this exhibition could proceed. Australia and Singapore enjoy a strong relationship by virtue of the many connections between our peoples and our history. This exhibition, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean, brings the work of Indigenous Australians from the Torres Strait and their collaborators to a major public gallery in Singapore for the first time. It speaks to our common interests in ways that I believe will promote and advance our mutual understanding. I look forward to strengthening our relationships in the future through these kinds of artistic exchanges. For now, I commend the exhibition to you and hope that you will enjoy it.

Senator the Honourable Mitch Fifield Minister for the Arts, Australia

PARAMA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA DARU

PA P U A N E W G U I N E A

BOBO

Buji

AUSTRALIA

Mabaduan

BOIGU Talbot Is. SAIBAI Saibai Is.

UGAR Stephen Is.

AUSTRALIA

PA P U A N E W G U I N

DAUAN Mt Cornwallis Is.

TORRES STRAIT

ERUB Darnley Is.

MASIG Yorke Is.

IAMA Yam Is.

MER Murray Is.

MABUIAG Jervis Is.

BADU Mulgrave Is.

KIRIRI Hammond Is.

MURALUG Prince of Wales Is.

MOA Banks Is. St Pauls Kubin

PORUMA Coconut Is. WARRABER Sue Is.

WAIBEN Thursday Is. NGURUPAI Horn Is. CAPE YORK

TUINED Possession Is.

AUSTRALIA

NORTH

An Introduction to Erub, People, Culture, and History Lynnette Griffiths and Diann Lui

It all comes back to the sea. We are all connected by the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oceans. Making art is really making meaning; my art helps me understand and make sense of the world. Florence Gutchen Erub Artist

Rising from the ultramarine blue ocean in the Torres Strait, approximately 160 kilometres north of Cape York, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef is the volcanic island of Erub or Darnley Island. Surrounded by fringing reef and ancient stonefish traps, this tropical island is home to approximately 400 Erubam Le (people from Erub) whose fierce seafaring heritage is visibly evidenced in elaborately decorated canoes, carved stones, and weaponry. Stories of creation and events are passed down through song and dance, where intricately constructed and woven dance costumes complete the message. In the early 1990s, schoolteacher Diann Lui founded the craft group EKKILAU (Erub Koskir Kimiar Ira Lug Aker Uteb). Working from a converted school classroom on the island, workshops in weaving, pottery, screenprinting, and jewellerymaking were conducted for both Indigenous and nonIndigenous residents. Some of the earliest members of the group included Sedey Stephen, Erub from the air Norah Saylor, Alma Sailor, Noretta Ketchell, Ruth Pau, Argo Anson, Coleena Sailor, Meo Sailor, Lala Pilot, Rita Doolah, and Jenny Mye. Australian artists Marion Gaemers and Lynnette Griffiths were involved in several of these workshops over the years. About a decade later, work began on the art centre in 2002. Built within the school grounds to take advantage of shared school facilities, Erub Erwer Meta (Our Learning House at Wau) was conceived as a place for intergenerational learning and adult-child mentoring, with the aim to also preserve and revitalise traditional Erub culture through a variety of artistic forms. Founding members included Racy Oui-Pitt, Ellarose Savage, Sedey Stephen, Florence Gutchen, and Carmen Oui. A short time later, they were joined by Jimmy K. Thaiday, Franklin Mye, and Nancy Naawi. The new arts centre continued to run workshops, and from 2005, Lynnette Griffiths commenced a bi-weekly series of art programmes. In the same year, a gallery was opened at the art centre. In 2008, Erub Erwer Meta, also known as Erub Arts, became the first Indigenous art centre incorporated in the Torres Strait. Diann Lui was appointed manager and Lynnette Griffiths took on responsibility for arts development. Erub artists have been working with reclaimed fishing nets since 2010, when GhostNets Australia came to the island to conduct a workshop and invited local artists to apply traditional weaving

Lynnette Griffiths and Diann Lui

Erub Arts centre, Darnley Island

Erub artist Nancy Naawi working with schoolchildren during the Tiny Turtles project as part of the Language and Culture programme

techniques to a new medium. The collaborative ethos of working has continued, and ocean, reefs, and creatures continue to inspire these artists, as they create messages of life, death, hunting, and preservation using marine debris. Colourful works are crafted using modern and traditional weaving techniques. Each project and work presents new challenges as the manipulation of materials becomes more sophisticated. To raise international awareness of the destructive and harmful ghost net, Erub Arts has worked with curators in Paris, commercial galleries, and local and international museums to create powerful installations that oscillate between art and the living environment. While Au Karem ira Lamar Lu seeks to connect people across the continents and oceans via the arts, it is also about questioning the global use of plastic and supersized fishing practices in this modern era. For the Islanders, the health of the ocean is crucial as they are intimately intertwined and bound up with each other.

Lynnette Griffiths leading a workshop in the studio at Erub Arts

An Introduction to Erub, People, Culture, and History

2001

The work Maizab Kaur, The Story of Bramble Cay is shown at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

2004

Gab Titui Cultural Centre, the Torres Strait’s first keeping place for historical artefacts and contemporary Indigenous art, is established on Thursday Island.

2008

Erub Erwer Meta (Erub Arts) becomes the Torres Strait’s first incorporated art centre.

2011

The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), State Library of Queensland, Queensland Museum, and Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane’s Cultural Centre stage Torres Strait Islands: A Celebration, the largest celebration of Torres Strait Islander art, performance, and culture to date.

2007

The first collaborative entry—a suite of lino prints, Coming of the Light—is shown at the Telstra Indigenous Art Awards, Darwin.

2009

Meg Agor Agor Ailan Pos, an exhibition featuring the work of eight Erub artists, is held at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre. Erub Arts takes part in the inaugural Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF).

2010

Ellarose Savage is highly commended at the Telstra Indigenous Art Awards for her ceramic work Zab and Koki. Erub Arts participates in the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. The first Ghost Net Workshop is conducted by GhostNets Australia in partnership with the Gab Titui Cultural Centre.

2011

Significant Milestones Early 1990s

1992

1995

1998

Founding of the craft group EKKILAU (Erub Koskir Kimiar Ira Lug Aker Uteb) by Diann Lui.

Floating Lands environmental exhibition and workshops take place at Lake Cootharabah, Noosa River and the Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre, Queensland. 2012

A TAFE (Technical and Further Education) College is established on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait with Lynnette Griffiths as Head of Art. The first sculptural collaboration, Maizab Kaur, is shown at the Pacific Island Cultural Festival, Thursday Island. The landmark exhibition Ilan Pasin (This Is Our Way): Torres Strait Art, organised by Torres Strait Islander curators Tom Mosby and Brian Robinson, is held at the Cairns Regional Gallery to mark the centenary of the Haddon Expedition. This is the first major exhibition of works by contemporary Torres Strait Islander artists.1

A ghost net workshop, held as a cross-cultural exchange programme, takes place on Mornington Island, Queensland.

Creative Collaborations: Ghost Net exhibition is held at the Cairns Regional Gallery. Florence Gutchen’s ghost net work, Usari, is shown at the Musée du Montparnasse, Paris, France in Beyond the Papunya Dot.

2013

Jimmy K. Thaiday is highly commended at the Telstra Indigenous Art Awards for his mixed media piece Kab Kar incorporating ghost net.

Dauma and Garom, the first large-scale installation piece, is commissioned by the Australian Museum, Sydney.

Lynnette Griffiths and Diann Lui

Sea Journeys Project—Return to New Caledonia exhibition is held at Kick Arts, Cairns. 2014

“Loyalty” Dinghy—The Next Journey is shown at Encounters at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra, and acquired by the museum. Ghost Net Fish, a collaborative show, takes place at Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney.

2015

Sea Blanket, a ghost net collaboration, takes place to celebrate International Women’s Day at the Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns. Our Island Our Sea, a collaborative ghost net exhibition, is held at ReDot Fine Art Gallery and the Australian High Commission in Singapore.

2016

Solwata—a collaborative abstract piece—is produced for the Sydney Biennale, and later acquired by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. TABA NABA: Sea Life exhibition opens at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Geraldine Le Roux presents the exhibition Ghost Nets: Des Filets Fantomes un Art et des Hommes at Brest and Lorient, France, and Saint-Martin’s Caribbean Festival.

2017

Boomerang, a GhostNet installation, goes on display at the Ethnographic Museum of Geneva, Switzerland. Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean exhibition opens at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore.

Entries for 1998, 2004, and 2011 have been extracted from “Art of the Torres Strait Islands,” Art Gallery of New South Wales Art Sets, accessed on 3 May 2017, https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/artsets/hav5uo/print. 1

Ailan Kastom and Art: The Labyrinthine Relay Between Past, Present, and Imagined Future Lim Chye Hong

The Torres Strait is named after Luis Vaez de Torres, the first European to have explored the region, in 1606.1 Prior to this, the region as a whole had no name. Small islands were scattered throughout, but references by the Torres Strait Islanders themselves were generally based on the geographically and culturally distinct main regions or island groups.2 Through the voyages of James Cook (1768–1771), William Bligh (1789, 1791–1792), and Mathew Flinders (1802–1803), a safe route through the Strait was charted. Thereafter, ships to the new colony of Australia no longer had to rely on the longer passage via Papua New Guinea. This opened the door for traders, both Europeans and Polynesian, to the Strait to acquire its commodities, such as sandalwood and turtle shells.3 By the 1860s, commercial quantities of pearl shells were discovered throughout the islands. The boom in the industry brought an influx of people into the region. Anthropologist Jude Philp asserts that the Islanders, far from being passive observers, fought, traded, and worked with these new visitors.4 From these encounters, Islanders introduced Ailan Kastom (Island Custom) to the Europeans and the Europeans bought back with them material culture.5 One of the earliest collections of Torres Strait Islands material culture came from Erub.6 Among the artefacts, such as arrows and adzes, is an incredible mask made from turtle-shell plates that have been moulded and sewn into the form of an elaborate human face with hair and a beard made from human hair. This mask, currently in the collection of the British Museum (BM), attests to the availability and richness of Torres Strait Islander materials in the region, as well as the Mask, 19th century (before 1846) exquisite craftsmanship of the artists.7 Wood, turtle shell, pearl shell, The most comprehensive human hair, and fibre collection of late nineteenth-century Length 40 cm British Museum, London, Oc1846,0731.3 Torres Strait material culture was © The Trustees of the British Museum amassed by the British anthropologist and ethnologist Alfred Cort Haddon. Haddon went to the Torres Strait in 1888 as a zoologist collecting crustacea and returned an ethnologist. In 1898–1899, Haddon undertook the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Strait, collecting art of the region. From the two field trips, he gathered over 2000 objects, which are largely housed at the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA). Supplementing the MAA’s trove of material culture is a large volume of texts—Haddon’s writings and documents—that are still read by scholars and Islanders. For the latter, they provide a source of information and history about their ancestors. It is worth noting that, 25 while institutions such as the BM and MAA may have large collections of material culture from the Torres Strait, the Islanders do not regard these

Ailan Kastom and Art

Lim Chye Hong

museums as owners of the objects. Their styles and aesthetic properties may be a reminder of the past but they also embody a reference to the present. To the Islanders, the true owners are those who possess the knowledge about the objects.8 This knowledge may be transmitted through designs, patterns, and stories taught to Indigenous Australians by their ancestors. They are reinforced and replicated through ritual, dance, and song, and on domestic and ritual objects. In this sense, the traces of the past surface in the present. The art of the Torres Strait Islands is visibly different and stylistically distinct from that of Aboriginal Australians on the mainland. Torres Strait Islanders have a maritime saltwater culture. They are very much influenced by their intimate knowledge of the sea, accumulated over thousands of years. Islanders are said to be “one of the most marineoriented and sea-life dependent indigenous societies on the planet.”9 Thus, it is not surprising that fish, turtles, and other marine creatures are key symbols, vital food sources, and totemic animals for Torres Strait Islanders. Inspired by these fantastic creatures, Au Karem ira Lamar Lu, or literally Ghost Nets of the Ocean, is a celebration of island, reef, and ocean. Made from ocean debris, including abandoned fishing nets, rope, and recycled plastics, these magnificent sculptures created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from Erub, one of twenty-two inhabited islands in the Torres Strait and home to one of the most remote communities in Australia, retains an underlying unity of inspiration—the sea and the peoples’ relationships with it. While the installation strives to generate awareness of ocean pollution, recycling, and conservation of the marine environment, it also offers a glimpse of Indigenous Australians’ enduring cultural heritage and a manifestation of its myriad contemporary expressions. Marine creatures tell stories, frame meanings, and take us to other places. Sharks are an important part of cultural and spiritual life for saltwater people. They are creator beings, ancestors, and totems, as well as a mighty power that represents law and order. Their life cycles reflect the seasons, the landscape, and sea country. Large hammerhead sharks are often seen off the northwestern side of Erub where the reef drops off quite sharply. They swim up from the deep water into shallow water to feed on stingrays. In the eastern Torres Strait Islands, the hammerhead shark is a totem for a number of tribes, and it has also been portrayed in traditional dance whereby the dancers wearing either facemasks or headdresses representing the shark mimic its movement. Made from marine debris and supported by steel frames, using a combination of traditional weaving techniques together with selected methods of sculpture, Irwapaup brings to life the majestic hammerhead and Keriam portrays a smaller but equally animated shark. During certain times of the year, usually around December, great shoals of sardines come round the eastern islands of the Torres Strait. The Islanders call these sardines tup. Often sharks may be seen darting here and there through the shoal, making a meal. At times, a variety of large trevally cuts through them, creating a feeding frenzy. There are various ways of catching the sardines—spearing, using a throw net, or scooping them up in big funnel-shaped baskets made of split bamboo, called weres.10 Juxtaposing Lynnette Griffiths’ Tup with the Weres Jimmy K. Thaiday and Lorenzo Ketchell by collective Indigenous artists carrying the hammerhead shark sculpture, from Erub offers a glimpse of a Irwapaup, 2017 moment in time.

Group of men with sardine scoops and bamboo poles to beat water, drive fish into scoops taken at Darnley Island, Torres Strait, Queensland, by William H. MacFarlane. Courtesy of AIATSIS, William H. MacFarlane Collection, Item no.: MACFARLANE.W01.DF-D00020944

Fishing with sardine scoops, or “weres,” taken at Darnley Island, Torres Strait, Queensland, by William H. MacFarlane. Courtesy of AIATSIS, William H. MacFarlane Collection, Item no.: MACFARLANE.W01.DF-D00020940

Turtles also hold special significance for the people of Erub. It is both a tribal totem and a traditional source of food for feasting and celebrations. Near the northern end of Erub is a reef called Emarr, a well-known turtle hunting ground. Islanders are mindful of taking only what they need. Part of the respect rendered to the sea is about making sure that marine stocks are available for future generations. Emarr Totol is one of the most impressive works for the installation. Like the Irwapaup, it is made from marine debris and supported by a steel frame. Bits of net and rope were unknotted and undone beforehand to form multicoloured clusters of fibre which were then meticulously sewn together using a technique reminiscent of felting to

Nancy Naawi deconstructing the green net for the turtle shell

Artists working on achieving the correct colour mix for the turtle shell

Ailan Kastom and Art

Lim Chye Hong

make up the flesh and core of the body. For the shell, a combination of coiling and weaving techniques was employed. Through the hands of the artists, marine debris was magically transformed into the splendid and dignified Emarr turtle.

Emarr Totol [turtle], 2017

The schematic layout of Au Karem ira Lamar Lu mirrors, to a certain extent, the ecology and the relationship of various marine creatures in the sea country. In constructing these sculptures, both Indigenous and nonIndigenous artists are contributing to the ongoing cohesiveness and strength of Islander culture. Understood and interpreted through the symbolic language and context of marine creatures, these colourful images reveal not only the artistic talents but also the Islanders’ knowledge about the sea, environment, and the people. These works are a powerful expression of contemporary sensitivities while echoing the experiential continuum with the past, lived through Ailan Kastom vis-à-vis Islanders’ intimate connection with the sea as well as the application of traditional techniques onto a new medium. It is in this sense that Au Karem ira Lamar Lu is simultaneously connected to the past and rooted in the present, engaging with the world through lively, positive, political, social, and creative action. 28

Little is known of the Spanish subject Luis Vaez de Torres (flourished 1605–1607). See Australian Dictionary of Biography, “Torres, Luis Vaez de (?–?),” accessed online 25 March 2017, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ torres-luis-vaez-de-2741/text3875. 2 There are five geographically and culturally distinct main regions or island groups comprising Top Western: Saibai, Boigu, Dauan and Buru; Eastern: Ugar, Erub and Mer group (including Dauar and Waier); Central: Masig, Poruma, Warraber, Iama, Zegey, Tudu, Aurid, Damut, Mukuva, and Gebar; Near Western: Badu, Mabuiag, Moa, and Nagir; and Inner: Muralug, Waiben, Kiriri, Tuined, Mori, and Ngurupai. 3 Jude Philp, “Owning Artifacts and Owning Knowledge: Torres Straits Island Material Culture,” Cambridge Anthropology 20 no. 1/2 (1998), p. 8. 4 Philp, “Owning Artifacts,” p. 8. 5 Torres Strait Islanders have a strong and abiding connection with their islands and sea country. This is governed by the unique Ailan Kastom (Island Custom). The term Ailan Kastom is defined by the Torres Strait Regional Authority in the Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander Commission Act, 1989, as “the body of customs, traditions, observances and beliefs of some or all of the Torres Strait Islanders living in the Torres Strait area, and includes any such customs, traditions, observances and beliefs relating to particular persons, areas, objects or relationships.” 6 Erub is also known as Darnley Island. 7 The mask has been written up in the journal of the British surveying voyages of HMS Fly and HMS Bramble by the naturalist on board, Joseph Beete Jukes (1811–1869). For further reference, see J. Beete Jukes, Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly (London: T. & W. Boone, 1847). 8 Philp, “Owning Artifacts,” p. 14. 9 Torres Strait Islanders are marine specialists par excellence. They are said to know of and use more than 450 species of marine animals. R. E. Johannes and J. W. MacFarlane, Traditional Fishing in the Torres Strait Islands (Hobart: CSIRO Division of Fisheries, 1991). 10 A weres is a traditional fishing tool used to scoop schooling sardines. It is generally made from slatted bamboo and assembled with rope made from beach hibiscus and vine. 1

Working on Emarr Totol [turtle], 2017, in the studio

An Ocean Fable Ingrid Hoffman

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Daru Port Moresby

ERUB

Arafura Sea

Torres Strait

Thursday Island

Coral Sea

CAIRNS

AUSTRALIA

TOWNSVILLE

An Ocean Fable Ingrid Hoffman

Ghost Nets of the Ocean is an exhibition of arresting scope. When ghost net craft began in 2007, an international showcase of sculptural forms shaped from washed-up fishnet was an unlikely conception. Few could have foreseen the transition from small woven and stitched articles to contemporary installations celebrated in countries far from their island base, and a formal exhibition presented at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum would have seemed fantastical. Within a decade, ghost nets quickly evolved into a messaging system, transmitting across the world’s oceans alarm about threatened marine wildlife by way of the very stuff killing those creatures. The heeding of this message and the wide critical acclaim for the new artform created by the makers declares it is a fable for our times. The work in this ghost net exhibition belongs to twelve artists from tropical Erub (Darnley Island) and two of their Australian collaborators from Cairns and Townsville. Erub lies inside a compact locus within the wider latitude and longitude of the Torres Strait. Here, fourteen small islands settled by traditional owners are among 270 atolls and islets scattered in the furthermost reaches of northeast Australia. Yet the realisation of ghost net sculptures from Erub is marked not by physical isolation, but rather by a substantial exchange of knowledge, transfer of skills, and a generous spirit of collaboration. With Papua New Guinea curving above and Australia’s administrative control emanating from the south for well over a century, Erub’s traditional owners continue to interact judiciously with external influences. A maritime community’s strategies for adapting to outside contacts bringing regulatory controls on one hand and opportunities for better well-being on the other have shaped a disciplined and inspirational approach to making art with a message. The ghost net message is clear: vast bundles of drift nets washed ashore continue to entangle more wildlife swept up in the relentless motion of tides, but this needless destruction can be arrested through human intervention. Salvaging nylon nets for weaving complements An early ghost net collaboration where Emma Gela, Florence Gutchen, Micronesian and Melanesian traditions Racy Oui-Pitt, Ellarose Savage, and of weaving with palm fronds and other Lynnette Griffiths (shown left to natural fibres. “Ghost nets,” though, right) work on the first large-scale is a laden metaphor. Fearsome in the ghost net piece in 2011 mysterious depths (where coloured nylon netting actually becomes invisible, drifting and dragging), the usually hidden array of commercially manufactured colours—bright green, red, delicate or vivid orange, popping pink, turquoise, and ocean blue—are revealed by the exhibition’s lights. A most important strand in the ghost net narrative is the artists’ openness to learning. Community leaders with a vision shaped the direction for education on Erub, where the island school was to be a learning centre for all generations. Erub Arts opened adjacent to the 35 school facilities in 2005 with the administrative blessing of Education Queensland, and its destiny was to become the art centre where ghost

Ingrid Hoffman

An Ocean Fable

net sculpture originated. A prodigious output of printmaking, ceramics, jewellery, and textile works continued, while the early techniques used to weave baskets and bowls from retrieved fishing net were strengthened over ten years to create large-scale exhibitions, installations, and public art commissions. The sheer increase in the amount of netting required for exhibition projects—multiple metres of it—is a testimony to the inventive confidence of artist-teacher Lynnette Griffiths and visiting workshop coordinator Marion Gaemers and their experienced local collaborators. Two practitioners not living on Erub but with long and committed associations there, Griffiths brings expert design, ceramic, and sculpture skills while Gaemers, a veteran fibre artist, introduced contemporary coiling, sewing, and construction techniques to build new forms. These adventurous artists impart technical methods and encourage experimental flair while absorbing the recounted histories and heritage of the four Erubian tribes: traditional fishing trips, knowledge of intricate coral reefs, and the presence of ancestor-creators. The respectful exchange of Indigenous and non-Indigenous skills and knowledge is an everyday practice, while Erub Arts is a real-world learning environment that could otherwise be called the University of Life.

From the hearts and hands of these artists, what does the viewer encounter entering the Level Two spaces of the Asian Civilisations Museum into evocative, underwater light, into Ghost Nets of the Ocean or Au Karmen ira Lamar Lu? The Erub dialect of the Meriam Mir traditional language would be entirely unfamiliar to most of the world’s population; yet almost everyone can conceptualise realms beneath the ocean’s surface containing the seafood we eat and the wild creatures we fear and respect. Ancient motifs may float into consciousness, connecting Erub artists’ suspended fish, turtles, and squid with timehonoured decorations of Asian ceramics in the Museum’s collections; even mythical underwater apparitions are suggested. Cultural linkages arising from the ocean’s resources are plentiful, although its fragile bounty has become a global anxiety. Prominent is the imposing turtle, Emarr Totol, a wise being among other clever inhabitants, including a hammerhead shark, Irwapaup. The multitudes of sardines eddying above are Lynnette Griffiths’ work, Tup. Glinting and darting, this school comprises more than 1,450 individual sardines, roughly a third of which were offered to Griffiths by respondents to a social media call-out who were given instructions for making them. Griffiths is a child of the sea and, knowing her fish species intimately as Erubians do, she discerns two sardine varieties, one preferred for eating and the other for bait, both integral amid the myriad organisms comprising the underwater web. Also capturing the eye are fractal bursts of coral supporting abundant beings, all forming an extravagantly detailed reef, the work of Marion Gaemers. Each component of Gaemers’ coral reef has its purposeful place in a grand design. However, warning signals of bleached, dead corals are manifest Lynnette Griffiths stitching too. For Gaemers, the workshops she gives sardines on a net independently of her weaving practice reward her creatively, and such learning communities connect with her message of preserving the Great Barrier Reef.

An artist stitching deconstructed net and rope (detail)

Marion Gaemers and Lynnette Griffiths discuss the turtle construction in the studio on Erub

Longstanding members of Erub Arts include Ellarose Savage, Florence Gutchen, and Racy Oui-Pitt. Joining some years later were Jimmy K. Thaiday, Rachel Emma Gela, and Nancy Naawi, while more recently, Ethel Charlie, Solomon Charlie, Sarah-Dawn Gela, Jimmy J. Thaiday, Nancy Kiwat, and siblings Lorenzo and Lavinia Ketchell also joined. The old hands’ encouragement of newcomers and the skills shared by Lynnette Griffiths and Marion Gaemers mean that all bring their energies to the collective creativity of Erub Arts.

Detail of Coral Panel, 2017, by Marion Gaemers

Marion Gaemers and Nancy Naawi with a ghost net work Obodi

The only elements not representing a living creature or system are the suspended fish scoops known as weres. They are symbols

Ingrid Hoffman

of Erub’s sustainable fishing heritage. The exhibition’s interpretive material explicitly explains that “the supersized scoop speaks not only of traditional practices, but how, with the upsizing of boats, fishing gear, and nets, the world’s oceans are being scoured by super-trawlers taking everything in their path—this Weres is a stark reminder that the mandate for sustainable, responsible fishing belongs to all people.” Ghost Nets of the Ocean is an atmospheric environment promoting contemplation. Subtle lighting evokes the delicate transparency of shallow turquoise waters; a marine simulation of an otherworldly, poetic dimension is achieved, a quality also present in the 2016 installation, Ghostnet Art, Twenty Thousand Nets Under the Sea presented by the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.1 Enchantment works side by side with warning where nets are at once invisible and ever present. Nets are the fundamental substance of this work: a convincing aquatic realm wrought by fourteen artists weaving, stitching, and coiling ghost nets together. Returning to the everyday, the willingness of Erub artists to transmit their own techniques in open workshops for public participation is one of the outstanding gifts they bring. For some years and in ever-more prestigious contexts, artists Florence Gutchen, Racy Oui-Pitt, and Ellarose Savage, among others, guide strangers in how to use unravelled ghost nets to coil, couch, wrap, and plait shapes that contribute to a greater whole. Sitting on mats, shoulder to shoulder, workshop members gain insight into the ghost net message, unified with their Indigenous instructors and other newcomers during a time of making something with their hands. Australian and international ghost net installations have welcomed memorable workshops conducted by the artists with patience and grace. Florence Gutchen and Nancy Naawi work together on stitching ghost net turtle shell If considered across lifetimes, Ghost Nets of the Ocean arises from the deep roots of crafts practised by generations. Traditional skills at Erub Arts are upheld in the stable environment maintained by long-term manager Diann Lui and by artist Lynnette Griffiths in her role as arts development and exhibitions manager. But Erub Arts’ studio is also networked for the modern world, and the organisational demands associated with national and international exhibitions, art fairs, artwork orders, and promotional opportunities are met amid the cultural and familial obligations of island life. The influence of this Erubian fable, with Ghost Nets of the Ocean as the climax, will not end here. Without concern for convention or constraint when ghost net weaving emerged ten short years ago, the spirit of making art that matters remains undiminished at Erub Arts and for Lynnette Griffiths and Marion Gaemers. All sixteen artists are catalysts propelling the trajectory of an expressive art movement which, while aligned with a branch of philosophy known as environmental aesthetics, bears its own name: Ghostnet Art. This is a field open for new scholarship, and Singapore viewers are invited to evaluate how contemporary art can interrogate aesthetic appreciation of natural environments—crucially, of environments degraded by human influence—and how the power of art can bind with tradition and scientific enquiry to become a communication channel for world38 wide awareness.

An Ocean Fable

Through its imaginative striving for marine preservation, this story of Ghost Nets of the Ocean certainly counts as a fable for our times.

Members of Erub Arts together at Seu Cay, Erub in the background

White Fish—Trevally, 2017, by Lynnette Griffiths

Géraldine Le Roux, “Ghostnet Art: Twenty Thousand Nets Under the Sea,” in Ghostnet Art: Twenty Thousand Nets Around the Sea / L’Art des ghostnets: Vingt mille filets autour de la mer, eds. Stéphane Jacob, Emmanuelle Gaillard, and Benjamin Curtet, exhibition catalogue for TABA NABA, Australia, Oceania, Arts of the Sea People, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, p. 26. 1

The Ghost Net Story Riki Gunn

Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been either lost at sea or abandoned or discarded by the fishers when they have become damaged.1 Ghost nets are part of a larger ghost gear (nets, pots, traps, fishing apparatus, and lines) problem that adds 640,000 tonnes of plastic to the marine environment every year.2 Those nets that are not caught up on rocky outcrops and other submerged objects continue to float around the ocean with the currents and tides until, eventually, they wash up on a shore somewhere.While they are floating on the ocean currents, they are still actively entangling marine wildlife invisibly and silently—hence the label “ghost” net.3 The north Australian coastline is a global hotspot for ghost nets, with upwards of three tonnes of net for every kilometre annually in some places. During the decade 2004–2014, more than 14,000 ghost nets were removed Hammerhead shark in a six tonne gill net Photograph by Jane Dermer, courtesy of from these shores by Indigenous GhostNets Australia rangers. As this region is very remote with a sparse population, eighty percent of which is Indigenous Australian, a pristine coastline is to be expected. Unfortunately, since the 1990s, increasing amounts of marine debris have appeared, of which seventy to eighty percent are ghost nets.4

43 Beach debris, May 2004 Photograph by Ilse Keissling, courtesy of GhostNets Australia

Riki Gunn

North Australia is also one of the last remaining safe havens for endangered marine species including marine turtles, dugongs, and sawfish. Marine turtles, in particular, are especially vulnerable to entanglement in ghost nets, making up eighty percent of the wildlife found. Unfortunately those that are washed ashore are thought to be a fraction of the real impact.5 In 2015, researchers estimated that 4,000–10,000 turtles have been entangled in the region during the past decade.6 This represents a major global issue as north Australia is nesting or Olive ridley turtle in a medley of ghost nets feeding grounds for six of Photograph by Jane Dermer, courtesy of the seven global species of GhostNets Australia marine turtle. For coastal Indigenous Australian communities, turtles and dugongs are a traditional source of food and an integral part of their belief systems and culture. Australia’s Indigenous people have a special relationship to land and sea that incorporates both a cultural and spiritual tie. These relationships are fundamental to the health and social and economic well-being of Indigenous communities. Indigenous people believe it is their responsibility to take care of the land for future generations. They call this concept “caring for country,” and it is practised by Indigenous rangers. Rangers are responsible for the dayto-day management of their country, including reducing threats from feral pigs and weeds, maintaining sacred sites, fire management, and monitoring endangered and threatened species such as turtles.7 GhostNets Australia (GNA) was formed to provide training and resources (vehicles, winches, measuring equipment, and wages) to thirty-two coastal ranger groups in the region so they could continue to manage the ghost net problem beyond the life of the programme. Rangers today still remove nets from the coast to prevent them from continuing their destructive life cycle, as well as rescue and rehabilitate any entangled wildlife they find.

The Ghost Net Story

The data that the rangers recorded and provided to GNA is of the nets themselves, their abundance and distribution, as well as what animals were in them. As only ten percent of the ghost nets were from Australian fisheries, the data has also helped GNA to determine the geographic source of the problem, leading to an understanding of the causes behind net loss and abandonment to enable more focused onground management of the issues.8 The problem lies directly to the north of Australia in the Arafura and Timor Seas.9 These waters are in the jurisdiction of Indonesia and Timor Leste (East Timor), who rely heavily on fishing for their livelihoods. The Arafura Sea, in particular, is a very fertile fishing ground. Until 2015, illegal fishing was rife in the Arafura Sea. Large industrial trawl and gill net fleets from as far as China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand fished in these waters. Research suggested that illegal fishing vessels outnumbered the legal ones 3:1, yet anecdotal evidence doubles that number.10 The ensuing overcrowding has driven the fishers to take more risks in order to make a living, resulting in gear wars and damage to nets, leaving them discarded and abandoned.11 In January 2015, the Indonesian government outlawed all foreign vessels, estimated at 7,000, working in their waters.12 Since then, the rangers have observed a general decline in nets washing up on Australian shores, but the evidence at this stage that illegal fishing is the only source is inconclusive. Commencing in Yirrkala in the Northern Territory in 2006, GNA also sponsored art workshops in Indigenous communities, facilitated by experienced fibre artists, to encourage re-use of the vast amount of accumulated rubbish.13 Locations for these workshops were as widespread as Darnley Island (Erub) in the northeast of the Torres Strait and South Goulburn Island, Northern Territory, in the west. As a result of these workshops and the continued community interest to adapt and extend the artistic limits of this new material, Indigenous ghost net art began appearing in galleries and art fairs around Australia and, now, internationally.

Wik and Kugu rangers removing net from the shores of Aurukun, western Cape York, Queensland Photograph by Leigh Harris, courtesy of GhostNets Australia

Making deconstructed ghost nets into an artwork

Riki Gunn

Graeme Macfadyen, Tim Huntington, and Rod Cappell, Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (Rome: United Nations Environment Program, 2009). 2 José B. Derraik, “The Pollution of the Marine Environment by Plastic Debris: A Review,” Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2002), pp. 842–52. 3 David W. Laist, “Impacts of Marine Debris: Entanglement of Marine Life in Marine Debris including a Comprehensive List of Species with Entanglement and Ingestion Records,” in Marine Debris: Sources, Impacts, and Solutions, eds. James M. Coe and Donald B. Rogers (New York: Springer-Verlag, 1997). 4 Riki Gunn, Britta Denise Hardesty, and James Butler, “Tackling ‘Ghost Nets’: Local Solutions to a Global Issue in Northern Australia,” Ecological Management and Restoration 11 (2010), pp. 88–98. 5 Grace Heathcote, Riki Gunn, Jennifer Goldberg, Scott Morrison, and Lisa Hamblin, Summary Report 2004–2009 (Darwin: GhostNets Australia, 2011). 6 Chris Wilcox, Grace Heathcote, Jennifer Goldberg, Riki Gunn, David Peel, and Britta Denise Hardesty, “Understanding the Sources and Effects of Abandoned, Lost, and Discarded Fishing Gear on Marine Turtles in Northern Australia,” Conservation Biology 29, no. 1 (2015), pp. 198–206. 7 C. P. Burgess, F. H. Johnston, D. M. J. S. Bowman, and P. J. Whitehead, “Healthy Country: Healthy People? Exploring the Health Benefits of Indigenous Natural Resource Management,” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 29 (2005), pp. 117–22. 8 C. Wilcox, B. D. Hardesty, R. Sharples, D. A. Griffin, T. J. Lawson, and R. Gunn, “Ghostnet Impacts on Globally Threatened Turtles: A Spatial Risk Analysis for Northern Australia,” Conservation Letters 6 (2013), pp. 247–54. 9 Wilcox et al., “Ghostnet Impacts on Globally Threatened Turtles.” 10 G. A. Wagey, S. Nurhakim, V. P. H. Nikijuluw, Badrudin, and T. J. Pitcher, A Study of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Arafura Sea, Indonesia (Jakarta: Research Centre for Capture Fisheries, 2009). 11 Riki Gunn, untitled and unpublished manuscript, 2015. 12 S. Pudjiastuti, Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister, personal communication, February 2015; “81 More Vessels Sunk Over Illegal Fishing,” The Jakarta Post, April 1, 2017. 13 Gunn, Hardesty, and Butler, “Tackling ‘Ghost Nets’.” 1

Designing Space: Island, Reefs, and Ocean Edmund Ng and Max Ng

One of the concept drawings for the proposed design for the Au Karem ira Lamar Lu exhibition

Presenting the artworks in a curated space that is meant to be a clean abstract interpretation of the land and sea in the Strait allows these magnificent silent sculptures to speak for themselves. The underlying design concept for this exhibition is about islands, reefs, and ocean. The space is predominantly filled with white plinths of varying heights, generating an energetic display that is both lively and ambiguous, resembling the reefs. Apart from aesthetic reasons, these plinths also serve as a device to “frame,” and as barriers to protect the artworks. The use of dynamic lighting, coupled with the reflective surfaces scattered throughout the space, helps to allude to moving water and results in an active and animated spectacle, as seen from the initial sketch and visualisation of the space. Sustainability is also vitally important—from the varying sizes of the plinths to the static repetition of the mirrors and finishes seen throughout the space, each and every element was carefully selected to ensure that there would be limited wastage of material during construction. In addition, the preparation of the room was carried out in a non-destructive way—as much as possible, everything used in this installation will be granted an afterlife where they can be used or recycled again. In retrospect, effective exhibition design is about creating a space that not only complements the artwork but also engages the audience.

Details of the plinths

Artist’s impression of the Au Karem ira Lamar Lu exhibition

Proposed placement of the artworks in the gallery

Tiny Turtles Project Sharon Chen

A participating class from the Australian International School, with their teacher Mr Theo Mandziy and Ms Michaela Iivonen, Elementary Art Teacher Assistant

Students from Bukit View Primary School and Pathlight School working on the coiling method

A Greenwood Primary School student with her design and reflective writing

Tiny Turtles is a display of artwork by students from eight schools in Singapore and the Torres Strait. Held alongside the Asian Civilisations Museum’s Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean, the students’ exhibition centres around a creative arts project that aimed to raise awareness among the young of the environmental damage caused by ghost nets. The Australian International School, Bukit View Primary School, Greenwood Primary School, Melbourne Specialist International School, Pathlight School, and Whitelodge kindergarten at Phoenix Park participated in this project. In addition, two schools from the Torres Strait, Erub Erwer Uteb Tagai State College (Darnley Island) and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (Thursday Island) also joined in. In January 2017, Australian artist Lynnette Griffiths shared her methods and the philosophy behind Ghostnet Art with a group of teachers from these schools and staff from the Asian Civilisations Museum at a workshop in Singapore. Over the next four months, these teachers embarked on weaving environmental awareness and the ghost net art project into the schools’ curricula. Participating students Students from Melbourne Specialist International School ranged between four to put the final touches to their work eleven years of age and included children with different abilities. Younger students from Whitelodge kindergarten were guided by storytelling sessions and educational displays. At the Australian International School, teachers used an inquiry-based learning approach where older students researched the environmental impact of ghost nets. Bukit View Primary School partnered Pathlight School, a school offering mainstream academic and life skills for students with autism. Students from both schools not only learned about ghost nets but also gained valuable lessons on inclusion and acceptance of people with different abilities. At Greenwood Primary School, students watched documentaries and reflected on what could be done for the environment. Participants included students from its unique art elective programme, initiated in 2010 to nurture young people with a flair for art. Melbourne Specialist International School developed a visual artsbased curriculum to enable children with special needs to participate. Similar workshops were planned by Lynnette Griffiths and conducted by Jimmy K. Thaiday for children at Erub Erwer Uteb Tagai State College. The emphasis here was on creating an artist-mentor learning environment for the younger ones to learn about traditional weaving techniques and contemporary art. At Our Lady of the Sacred 55

Sharon Chen

Tiny Turtles Project

Heart School on Thursday Island, participating students were already familiar with the ocean and aware of the issues caused by ghost nets. The five-week workshops provided opportunities for them to learn about the origins of ghost nets and for the community to come together to teach relevant skills and make turtles. With the fibres from the ghost nets of Erub, these children created over 500 colourful turtles by applying coiling and couching, the same methods employed by ghost net artists. As they gave rein to their lively imaginations, they also engaged in a broader conversation about art, environment, and reaching out to the community. Finally, the collaboration involved in putting up the Tiny Turtles exhibition reflects the nature of environmental conservation as a joint effort. The project is also an example of using the arts to create a voice for change.

Children at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School making tiny turtle sculptures

Children at Erub Erwer Uteb learning weaving techniques

Children at Whitelodge kindergarten at Phoenix Park craft tiny turtle sculptures and learn about turtle habitats

Catalogue of Works

Top: Jimmy J. Thaiday Wild Kid [shark], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 36 x 45 x 30 cm

Top: Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lorenzo Ketchell, and Solomon Charlie Irwapaup [shark], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 317 x 110 x 140 cm

Bottom: Jimmy K. Thaiday Keriam [shark], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 54 x 30 x 20 cm

Bottom: Solomon Charlie Mistar [shark], 2016 Ghost net (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 75 x 38 x 22 cm

Top: Lavinia Ketchell Tiny Turtles, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) Eleven turtles, 10 x 8 x 1 cm each Middle: Racy Oui-Pitt Millie [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 58 x 45 x 8 cm

Bottom: Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Ethel Charlie, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Lorenzo Ketchell, Nancy Naawi, Racy Oui-Pitt, Lynnette Griffiths, and Marion Gaemers Emarr Totol [turtle], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 160 x 160 x 52 cm

Top: Erub artists with their ghost net turtles Bottom: Racy Oui-Pitt Untitled [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 43 x 43 x 5cm

Top: Lavinia Ketchell Sannah [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 34 x 30 x 4 cm

Top: Various artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; turtles making their way to the water

Bottom: Jimmy J. Thaiday Artha [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 55 x 62 x 10 cm

Bottom: Lavinia Ketchell Mabel (top) and Lanita (bottom), 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 16 x 14 x 4 cm (top), 23 x 19 x 4 cm (bottom)

Top: Nancy Kiwat Joonks [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 105 x 65 x 18 cm Middle: Ellarose Savage Samuel [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 133 x 48 x 18 cm

Bottom: Jimmy J. Thaiday Roy [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 78 x 15 x 12 cm

Top and bottom: Florence Gutchen Bidai [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 120 x 48 x 18 cm

Top: Various artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; squid Top: Various artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; squid in the water at Seu Cay

Bottom: Jimmy J. Thaiday P Boy [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 115 x 81 x 23 cm

Bottom: Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Ethel Charlie, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Lorenzo Ketchell, Nancy Naawi, and Racy Oui-Pitt Sager [squid], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 347 x 200 x 5 cm

Top: Lynnette Griffiths Golden Stripe Sardines, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 200 x 150 x 3 cm

Top: Jimmy J. Thaiday Dthaughee [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 85 x 68 x 20 cm

Bottom: Lynnette Griffiths Blue Striped Snapper, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 100 x 80 x 5 cm

Bottom: Jimmy K. Thaiday Au Mit [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 60 x 28 x 14 cm

Top: Lynnette Griffiths White Fishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Trevally, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 200 x 150 x 5 cm

Bottom: Lynnette Griffiths Yellowtail Fusiliers and Yellow-Striped Whiptail, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 100 x 80 x 5 cm

Top and bottom: Lynnette Griffiths Tupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sardines, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) Eleven drapes, 200 x 150 x 3 cm each

Top: Nancy Kiwat Freddy [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 83 x 38 x 38 cm Bottom: Various artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jellyfish on the tide line at Seu Cay

Top: Various artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drifting jellyfish Bottom: Lavinia Ketchell Jellyfish Jack, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 65 x 13 x 13 cm

Top: Erub artists with their jellyfish at Seu Cay

Bottom: Nancy Kiwat Freddy [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 83 x 38 x 38 cm

Racy Oui-Pitt Rosey [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 58 x 17 x 17 cm

Top: Marion Gaemers Coral Panel 3, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 300 x 110 x 15 cm Middle: Marion Gaemers’ coral (detail), made from net and rope Top: Marion Gaemers’ staghorn coral (detail)

Middle: Marion Gaemers’ coral (detail), made from net and rope Bottom: Marion Gaemers’ bleached coral (detail), made from rope

Bottom: Alma Sailor, Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Milla Anson, Nancy Kiwat, Nancy Naawi, Racy Oui-Pitt, and Ceferino Sabatino Weres, 2014 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 280 x 100 x 100 cm

List of Works

23 Lavinia Ketchell Mabel [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 16 x 14 x 4 cm

35 Nancy Naawi Joey [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 25 x 21 x 3 cm

1 Ethel Charlie, Ethel [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 55 x 55 x 10 cm

12 Florence Gutchen Bebe [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 40 x 40 x 4 cm

24 Lavinia Ketchell, Pelly [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 104 x 44 x 18 cm

36 Nancy Naawi Koki Gel [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 53 x 20 x 20 cm

2 Ethel Charlie Paula [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 64 x 21 x 21 cm

13 Florence Gutchen Bidai [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 120 x 48 x 18 cm

25 Lavinia Ketchell Sannah [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 34 x 30 x 4 cm

37 Nancy Naawi Milla [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 30 x 22 x 7 cm

3 Ethel Charlie Raina [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 80 x 21 x 21 cm

14 Florence Gutchen Dama [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 67 x 21 x 21 cm

26 Lavinia Ketchell Tiny Turtles, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) Eleven turtles, 10 x 8 x 1 cm each

38 Nancy Naawi Senny Boy [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 100 x 54 x 15 cm

4 Ethel Charlie Untitled [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 55 x 13 x 13 cm

15 Florence Gutchen Kerged [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 43 x 38 x 9 cm

27 Nancy Kiwat Betty [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 48 x 22 x 22 cm

39 Racy Oui-Pitt Lilly [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 101 x 32 x 16 cm

5 Ethel Charlie Untitled [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 140 x 38 x 13 cm

16 Florence Gutchen Pauna [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 38 x 29 x 5 cm

28 Nancy Kiwat Freddy [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 83 x 38 x 38 cm

40 Racy Oui-Pitt Millie [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 58 x 45 x 8 cm

6 Solomon Charlie Mistar [shark], 2016 Ghost net (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 75 x 38 x 22 cm

17 Florence Gutchen Popwag [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 56 x 12 x 12 cm

29 Nancy Kiwat Dora [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 36 x 10 x 10 cm

41 Racy Oui-Pitt Rosey [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 58 x 17 x 17 cm

7 Emma Gela Doreen [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 120 x 54 x 13 cm

18 Lorenzo Ketchell Basoki [shark], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 98 x 29 x 39 cm

30 Nancy Kiwat Norah [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 57 x 65 x 12 cm

42 Racy Oui-Pitt Untitled [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 43 x 43 x 5cm

8 Emma Gela Jesma [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 53 x 21 x 21 cm

19 Lavinia Ketchell Arel [turtle], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 44 x 41 x 6 cm

31 Nancy Kiwat Nubz [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 60 x 20 x 20 cm

43 Racy Oui-Pitt Elaine, 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 40 x 83 x 22 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young

9 Sarah-Dawn Gela Paula Gel [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 130 x 43 x 10 cm

20 Lavinia Ketchell Jellyfish Jack, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 65 x 13 x 13 cm

32 Nancy Kiwat Sammy [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 39 x 32 x 9 cm

10 Florence Gutchen Annabelle [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 66 x 60 x 16 cm

21 Lavinia Ketchell Jerry [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 17 x 20 x 20 cm

33 Nancy Kiwat Joonks [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 105 x 65 x 18 cm

11 Florence Gutchen Annie [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 74 x 53 x 17 cm

22 Lavinia Ketchell Lanita [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 23 x 19 x 4 cm

34 Nancy Kiwat Samu, 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 39 x 25 x 110 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young

44 Racy Oui-Pitt Ollie, 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 30 x 67 x 40 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young 45 Alma Sailor Poy [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 42 x 43 x 5 cm 46 Alma Sailor Untitled [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 76 x 12 x 12 cm

List of Works

47 Alma Sailor Racy, 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 24 x 77 x 40 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young 48 Ellarose Savage, Blamey [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 32 x 30 x 5 cm 49 Ellarose Savage Lucy Loo [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 62 x 18 x 18 cm 50 Ellarose Savage Mable [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 51 x 8 x 8 cm 51 Ellarose Savage MoiMoi [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 77 x 19 x 19 cm 52 Ellarose Savage Samuel [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 133 x 48 x 18 cm 53 Ellarose Savage Saugae [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 77 x 19 x 19 cm 54 Ellarose Savage Sepa [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 70 x 17 x 17 cm 55 Jimmy J. Thaiday Artha [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 55 x 62 x 10 cm 56 Jimmy J. Thaiday Blue String [jellyfish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 120 x 26 x 6 cm 57 Jimmy J. Thaiday P Boy [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 115 x 81 x 23 cm

58 Jimmy J. Thaiday Roy [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 78 x 15 x 12 cm

59 Jimmy J. Thaiday Untitled [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 115 x 30 x 20 cm 60 Jimmy J. Thaiday Tomas [turtle], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 25 x 26 x 5 cm 61 Jimmy J. Thaiday Turtle Hatchlings, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 53 x 25 x 10 cm 62 Jimmy J. Thaiday Dthaughee [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 85 x 68 x 20 cm 63 Jimmy J. Thaiday Wild Kid [shark], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 36 x 45 x 30 cm 64 Jimmy J. Thaiday Zeck [squid], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 118 x 30 x 15 cm 65 Jimmy K. Thaiday Keriam [shark], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 54 x 30 x 20 cm 66 Jimmy K. Thaiday Au Mit [fish], 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 60 x 28 x 14 cm 67 Marion Gaemers Coral Panel 1, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 220 x 140 x 20 cm 68 Marion Gaemers Coral Panel 2, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 210 x 185 x 20 cm 69 Marion Gaemers Coral Panel 3, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 300 x 110 x 15 cm 70 Marion Gaemers Coral Panel 4, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 270 x 120 x 15 cm

List of Works

71 Marion Gaemers Ray, 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 20 x 120 x 8 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young 72 Lynnette Griffiths Baby Turtles, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) Eighteen turtles, largest, 18 x 20 x 2 cm 73 Lynnette Griffiths Blue Striped Snapper, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 100 x 80 x 5 cm 74 Lynnette Griffiths Golden Stripe Sardines, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 200 x 150 x 3 cm 75 Lynnette Griffiths White Fishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Trevally, 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 200 x 150 x 5 cm 76 Lynnette Griffiths Jellyfish, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 50 x 18 x 18 cm 77 Lynnette Griffiths Tupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sardines, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) Eleven drapes, 200 x 150 x 3 cm each 78 Lynnette Griffiths Yellowtail Fusiliers and Yellow-Striped Whiptail, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) One drape, 100 x 80 x 5 cm

COLLABORATION

81 Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Ethel Charlie, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Lorenzo Ketchell, Nancy Naawi, Racy Oui-Pitt, Lynnette Griffiths, and Marion Gaemers Emarr Totol [turtle], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 160 x 160 x 52 cm 82 Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lorenzo Ketchell, and Solomon Charlie Irwapaup [shark], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 317 x 110 x 140 cm 83 Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Ethel Charlie, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy J. Thaiday, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Lorenzo Ketchell, Nancy Naawi, and Racy Oui-Pitt Sager [squid], 2017 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 347 x 200 x 5 cm 84 Erub Arts Collaboration Weres II, 2016 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 270 x 90 x 90 cm 85 Alma Sailor, Ellarose Savage, Emma Gela, Florence Gutchen, Jimmy K. Thaiday, Lavinia Ketchell, Milla Anson, Nancy Kiwat, Nancy Naawi, Racy Oui-Pitt, and Ceferino Sabatino Weres, 2014 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) and steel 280 x 100 x 100 cm

79 Lynnette Griffiths Diamond-Scale Mullet (I), 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 25 x 40 x 110 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young 80 Lynnette Griffiths Diamond-Scale Mullet (II), 2015 Ghost nets (reclaimed fishing net and rope) 25 x 40 x 110 cm Collection of Lina and Hugh Young

Artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Biographies

Artists’ Biographies

Artists’ Biographies Sarah-Dawn Gela (b. 1977)

Ethel Charlie (b. 1959)

Solomon Charlie (b. 1979)

Florence Gutchen (b. 1961)

Papua New Guinean Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Marawadai Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Individual Commission: Australian Fisheries Management Authority, 2017 Artist’s Statement My mother and grandmother were both great weavers and I used to watch them make things for the house. Today, I think that making things out of ghost net is a brilliant way to use a waste material.

Rachel Emma Gela Torres Strait Islander (b. 1954) Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Saisarem Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Commended, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2013; Best Craft Work, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2012 Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement As a young woman, I had family commitments that meant I was always working in the home. Now I can come together with women of my own age group and share stories, experiences, and we can learn and share together. 88

Artist’s Statement Before I became familiar with ghost nets, I concentrated on traditional palm-frond weaving. I like to work on things that you would use every day, but I also enjoy larger projects that give me the opportunity to express myself creatively.

Papua New Guinean Language: Sign Language Tribe: Marawadai Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement As I can’t hear or speak, I like to do things visually, and I like to learn by watching others. My interest in art first began as a child. I like doing art because it keeps my mind occupied.

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Peiudu Lives: Erub, Torres Strait

Torres Strait Islander Language: Kulka Gau-Ya and Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Samu clan, Poruma Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Finalist, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2015; Best Work on Paper, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2013 Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement When I was young, my favourite hobbies were crocheting, bead making, and sewing. As the years went by, I’ve learnt other art skills. As a member of Erub Arts, I enjoy my artwork and look forward to learning more new things and sharing with others.

Lavinia Ketchell (b. 1993)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Meuram Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Commended for 3D work, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2016; Best Craft Work, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2015 Artist’s Statement I enjoy making all kinds of different things from the ghost net. The colours, visible once you unravel the net, make my works bright and happy. I love how I can turn something so harmful to our reefs into a beautiful artwork.

Artists’ Biographies

Lorenzo Ketchell (b. 1989)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Meuram Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016

Artists’ Biographies

Racy Oui-Pitt (b. 1953)

Artist’s Statement My passion for art started when I was nine years old, when my design to celebrate our community’s grant of native title was printed on T-shirts. I have followed an art-making pathway ever since.

Nancy Kiwat (b. 1971)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Saisarem Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016

Artist’s Statement I started making art seriously in 2002, and as a founding member of Erub Arts, I want to continue to make art that relates to my heritage and promotes our unique island way.

Alma Sailor (b. 1956)

Artist’s Statement At school, art was one of my favourite subjects. I really like jewellery making. At Erub Arts, I have learnt many new things, gaining new skills and learning new weaving techniques.

Nancy Naawi (b. 1958)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Peiudu Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Runner-up, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2012 Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement I have always been interested in making things. I have always crocheted and enjoyed sewing and handcrafts. As a member of Erub Arts, I have gained confidence as an artist, and I want to do things that represent me, my family, and my surroundings from before-time to modern times.

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Meuram Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Best 3D Work, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2013; Commended, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2011

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Peiudu Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collection: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement I have always been interested in art and was a member of the EKKILAU craft group on Erub before I joined Erub Arts.

Ellarose Savage (b. 1969)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Meuram Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collections: Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016; Queensland Governor, 2015; National Museum of Australia, Canberra, 2014 and 2013; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2014; and Australian Museum, Sydney, 2013 Artist’s Statement I am interested in expressing my relationship with the sea, and am currently exploring the links between people’s surroundings, objects, and Erub culture. Sea creatures are an important part of my heritage.

Artists’ Biographies

Jimmy J. Thaiday (b.1978)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Kuz and Peiudu Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Collections: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2016; Australian Museum, Sydney, 2016

Artists’ Biographies

Marion Gaemers (b.1958)

Artist’s Statement I have always loved to draw. It’s something that comes naturally. I also enjoy fishing and walking on the reef. My artwork gives me the opportunity to express the things that are important to me, my identity, and my culture.

Jimmy K. Thaiday (b. 1987)

Torres Strait Islander Language: Torres Strait Creole Tribe: Peiudu Lives: Erub, Torres Strait Awards: Best 3D Work, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2015; Shortlisted, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2014; Shortlisted, Shepparton Indigenous Ceramic Award, 2014; Best Traditional Artefact, Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award, 2014; Best ICTV Station ID Award, 15th National Remote Indigenous Media Festival, 2013; Highly Commended, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2013 Collections: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2015; National Museum of Australia, Canberra 2014; Parliament House Collection, Canberra, 2014; Museum Victoria, 2015; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, 2013

Australian Language: English Lives: Townsville Collections: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2016; Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, 2015; Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Queensland, 1992 Artist’s Statement I use waste material to make my art and enjoy working collaboratively, involving the community. I am a weaver and basket-maker. I have worked with Erub Arts and GhostNets Australia since 2010.

Lynnette Griffiths (b. 1963)

Australian / English Language: English Lives: Cairns Collections: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2016; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2001; Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), Switzerland, 2016 Artist’s Statement My artistic practice has developed from graphicimage making towards the manipulation of materials, construction, and installation. My work uses imagery, along with materials from the marine environment, as a metaphor for human exploitation and environmental degradation.

Artist’s Statement Art has always been part of my life. My inspiration for my artwork is from my heritage and the environment in which I live. The cultural traditions that have been passed on through generations and taught to me by my elders have also influenced my work.

Authors, Contributors, and Acknowledgements

Authors and Contributors

Lim Chye Hong Deputy Director, Curatorial, Heritage Institutions, National Heritage Board; and Deputy Director, Festivals & Precinct Developments, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Lynnette Griffiths Artist and educator; Exhibitions and Artistic Development Manager, Erub Arts Centre, Queensland, Australia Diann Lui Manager, Erub Arts Centre, Queensland, Australia Ingrid Hoffmann Senior Curator, Beleura House and Garden, Mornington, Victoria, Australia Riki Gunn Founder and coordinator, GhostNets Australia Edmund Ng Chief Architect, Edmund Ng Architects, Singapore Max Ng Architect Assistant, Edmund Ng Architects, Singapore Sharon Chen Manager, Audience & Learning, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore

Acknowledgements from Erub Erwer Meta

Erub Arts wishes to acknowledge and thank the artists and the many people and organisations who, with their dedicated commitment, generously assisted in realising this outstanding project that combined both the Au Karem ira Lamar Lu exhibition and the Rescue Tiny Turtles programme.

Freight and Travel We would like to express our gratitude to Victor Perazzo from Queensland Sea Swift Pty Ltd for his support in securing freight sponsorship from Erub to Cairns, and to Andrea McNamara and Margaret Perazzo from Business and Leisure Travel Cairns for relevant travel advice. Design Edmund Ng and Max Ng of Edmund Ng Architects, Singapore, for the exhibition design Sarah Tang and Alison Schooling of Sarah and Schooling, Singapore, for the catalogue design

Special Thanks We thank Giorgio Pilla, Director of ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore, for his belief and unwavering commitment to fulfill our vision with his generous donation of time and resources towards this project. In 2013 we commenced our journey with the gallery, when no other gallery had yet envisaged the potential of this artform in the international arena. He encouraged us to think big and aim for the sky with our first Singapore exhibition in 2015. Since then, Erub Arts has exhibited in three international museums, and works have found their way into several institutional collections around the world. We look forward to the next chapter in our story and where that might take us. Many thanks to Lina Young for lending us the works in her collection. We are also grateful to Dr Mathew Trinca, Co-Chair of the Australia-Singapore Arts Group, for his enthusiasm about Erub Arts and invaluable support and advice.

Rescue Tiny Turtles Programme Particular thanks are due to Lynnette Griffiths for designing and initiating Tiny Turtles through a series of professional development activities delivered to the staff of schools in Singapore and the Torres Strait. To the principals, teachers and students of these schools, as well as the Asian Civilisations Museum, thank you for your contribution in raising the awareness of the issues with ghost nets: Australian International School, Singapore Bukit View Primary School, Singapore Erub Erwer Uteb, Tagai State College, Erub, Australia Greenwood Primary School, Singapore Melbourne Specialist International School, Singapore Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Thursday Island, Australia Pathlight School, Singapore Whitelodge Kindergarten, Singapore

Erub Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Project Team Erub Arts artists and the administration team; Giorgio Pilla and Mandy Leong, ReDot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore; Clele White, Australian High Commission, Singapore

We would also like to thank Robert Bunzil, Sharon Chen, Sharon County, Michelle Hall, Enzo Vecchio-Rugger, Donna Seekee, and Andrew Shaw for their support; and a big thank you to the National Museum of Australia, National Heritage Board, and Torres Strait Islands Regional Council for assisting with the Live Link international video conference.

Particular thanks are given to Lynnette Griffiths, Erub Arts exhibitions manager, for her unwavering commitment and dedication to the project, from the initial concept development with artists through to the completion of works. Funding We acknowledge the support and thank the staff of our funding agencies: Australian Government Department of Communications and the Arts National Heritage Board Australia-Singapore Arts Group National Museum of Australia Qantas James Cook University, Singapore Campus Australian International School, Singapore Pratt Foundation White Lodge, Singapore Australian High Commission, Singapore Torres Strait Regional Authority Queensland Sea Swift Pty Ltd Private Donors

We would also like to express our gratitude for the ongoing financial support from the Australian Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support programme; Arts Queensland; Backing Indigenous Arts programme; and the Torres Strait Regional Authority Culture, Heritage and the Arts programme, for the day-to-day operational support to Erub Arts.

Acknowledgements from the Asian Civilisations Museum

We are grateful to the many people who provided generous support for the exhibition Au Karem ira Lamar Lu / Ghost Nets of the Ocean: Voices for the Sea from Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Torres Strait Islanders and this associated publication. Our sincerest appreciation goes to the artists, Erub Arts, and the Australian Government Department of Communications and the Arts. We are profoundly thankful to Rosa Daniel and Mathew Trinca for their support. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to Cheah Hwei-Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;n, Sharon Chen, Daniell Cheok, Jeff Chong, Muhd Noor Aliff Bin Ghani, Lynnette Griffiths, Danielle Gullotta, Jenna Goh, Heryanti Jamal, Cheryl Koh, Richard Lingner, Amanda Peacock, Cara Pinchbeck, C. K. Lee, Ian Liu, Diann Lui, Edmund Ng, Max Ng, Ng Wan Gui, Ong Pui Hoon, Wendy Ong, Idris Bin Salleh, Alison Schooling, Denisonde Simbol, Bernard Tan, Tan Siok Sun, Sarah Tang, Sebastin Emmanuel Victor, Yeong Kai Weng, Lina Young, Gerald Wee, and Clele White.

Ghost Nets of the Ocean Au Karem ira Lamar Lu

Organised by

ERUB ARTS TORRES STRAIT

Supported by

Department of Communications and the Arts

Main supporter

Supporter

With support from

The Asian Civilisations Museum is an institution of

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Additional image captions Page 2: Emma Gela Jesma [jellyfish], 2016 Pages 8 and 9: Ellarose Savage Samuel [squid], 2016 Page 10: Jimmy K. Thaiday Au Mit [fish], 2016 Page 21: Jimmy J. Thaiday Untitled [squid], 2016 Page 47: Jimmy J. Thaiday Wild Kid [shark], 2016 Page 85: Florence Gutchen Popwag [jellyfish], 2016 Page 97: Jimmy J. Thaiday Artha [turtle], 2016