Alick Tipoti Torres Strait Islander Australia b.1975 Kobupa thoerapiese 1999 Linocut on paper ed. 4/98 99 x 65.5cm Purchased 2001 with funds from Energex Brisbane Festival 2000 through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Collection: Queensland Art Gallery

Award-winning artists Dennis Nona and Alick Tipoti have their bags packed for a series of overseas exhibitions that will take their work to the UK and the United States.

Badu Island-born Dennis is one of 40 contemporary artists exhibiting in The Tropics: Views from the Middle of the Globe at the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin, 12 September - 5 January 2009.

His 6 metre linocut called Yawarr has been selected for the show. One of Australia's leading contemporary artists, Dennis is celebrating again after winning the $4000 Telstra Works on Paper award for his delicate etching on paper, Dugal.. Winner of last year's $40 000 Telstra Award for his 3.5 metre bronze crocodile Ubirikubiri, Dennis named this year's work after the morning star that tells Torres Strait Islanders that it is time to harvest the wild yams, kutai, gabua and saurr.

Fellow Torres Strait Islander Alick Tipoti has an important show at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London, 18 September-15 November. The Acting High Commissioner for Australia and the Agent General for Queensland will open the exhibition.

Both artists will be showing in an exhibition at the Robert Steele Gallery in New York during January and February 2009. This will be a show of more than 80 of their prints and sculptures in one of the larger galleries in the Chelsea arts precinct.

Alick has also picked up two prizes this year - the Fremantle Print Award $3000 Non acquisitive prize for Kuyku Garpathamai Mabaig, and the Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award 2008 for his work Zugubal.

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