Inurau Thonarnu

Artist Alick Tipoti (1975)

Date1994

Object number00031662

NameLinocut

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsSheet: 765 × 565 mm
Mount / Matt size (D Fini Mount): 865 × 630 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionA lino cut print by Alick Tipoti titled 'Inurau Thonarnu'.The print depicts two figures standing in an outrigger boat with sails. The warriors wear the traditional Torres Strait Dhari headdresses and are holding spears. In the upper corners is a Bu shell (trumpet shell) and a Warup (drum), both of which are synonymous with Badu Island culture. Written below the image lower right "2/50", "Inarau thonarnu", and signature and "94". HistorySince the mid-1980s many Torres Strait artists have developed a unique style of lino printing that is now synonymous with the region. Alick Tipoti has evolved into one of the most renown of these artists and was committed from early in his career to translating the stories he heard from his father and grandfather into printed images, much like traditional carving techniques. Tipoti also uses prints to produce to reflect the current concerns of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - access to fresh water through Land Rights, Sea Rights and the survival of Indigenous cultures. In this early piece by Tipoti, produced while he completed an Associate Diploma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Art at Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE, a story of voyaging warriors is told. These legendary heroes depict a time of bravery in battles with neighbours and navigating across the oceans. In the upper left, the trumpet shell represents a call by chiefs to prepare for battle. In modern time, the shell still plays a part in ceremonies as does the warup (drum). Both implements were and still are seen as the "voice of the Torres Strait" - widely heard and familiar to island inhabitants. Significance'Inurau Thonarnu' is one of Alick Tipoti's early works and shows that while his skill and art practises have changed and adapted over the years, his early commitment to show the world traditional Badu Island culture remains.