Queensland Indigenous artists continue to express their cultural heritage through the contemporary art forms of visual arts and crafts, performing arts (including music, theatre and dance) and literature. The expression of the arts and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Queensland is rich and diverse.
The Indigenous population of Queensland, second highest in Australia, consists of two distinct groups, the Aboriginal peoples and the Torres Strait Islander peoples. Within these two groups, there are many languages and cultural traditions and these are reflected in the arts produced throughout the State.
The Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing and Export Agency (QIAMEA) is responsible for the consistent promotion of high quality Queensland Indigenous art in international markets.
The Queensland Indigenous visual arts and crafts industry is vibrant, with both young and mature artists creating works across all mediums of painting and sculpture, ceramics, body adornment, feathered and fibre works, and newer technologies of film, photography and digital imagery.
There are a growing number of Queensland Indigenous artists working in the performing arts (music, dance and theatre) who are consistently sought by the industry. Musicians, dancers and actors from Queensland have established profiles nationally and internationally particularly in the North American and European market.
There is an emerging community across a range of writing genres including scriptwriters, playwrights, poets, authors and academics who are consistently employed by the arts and cultural industries locally and overseas. Many of these have won national and international recognition.
Queensland Indigenous art is making a significant impact in the visual arts arena.
Cultural activity as well as government support has seen a number of strengths within the industry and it is Queensland's geography and history that contributes to the diversity and distinctive nature of these art forms. The geographic regions include:
Cutting edge, largely political, and conceptually rigorous, Queensland City-based Indigenous artists are a vital part of Australia's contemporary visual arts community.
Queensland has established its current position as a significant force through the work of City-based artists. Queensland is home to some of Australia's most successful and high profile Indigenous artists who work in the national and international arena.
The work of Indigenous artists from Queensland's cities and towns now help to define the cultural landscape of this State.
Mornington and Bentinck Island artists from the Gulf region have emerged as an exciting painting movement, producing works with acrylic paint on canvas. The art of Mornington and Bentinck Islands is distinguished by beautiful geometric shapes and vibrant layers of colour and pattern that speak of lifetime stories and deep connection to the land, depicting local landscape and ceremonial body markings. Leading artists are drawing international attention.
The Wik artists from the Aurukun community of West Cape York produce unique ochre and acrylic painted sculpture, wood carvings and intricate woven fibre art. The Aurukun-Wik artists are acknowledged as masters of an internationally recognised sculptural tradition. Carved and painted ocre ceremonial 'low poles' are unique to this art tradition. Aurukun sculpture is distinguished by its robust, highly figurative nature. Dynamic single figure or multi-part sculptures are symbols of deep religious and social meaning to the Wik people.
On East Cape York, Lockhart River is a region where age-old traditions, such as song and dance and oral traditions, are expressed through modern techniques of acrylic painting on canvas. The rich canvases of the Lockhart River Art Gang are notable for their vibrant colour and high gloss surfaces. These artists give a voice to a new generation of Indigenous people living in remote areas, yet influenced by both traditional and contemporary times.
The Torres Strait Islands region is home to rich cultural traditions with their own distinct identity. Contemporary art of the islands is characterised by intricately carved linocut prints that depict traditional narratives, hero figures and sea creatures. Artworks including bronze sculpture, public art, dance machines and headdresses have attracted international attention and are an important part of the creative lexicon of the region.
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© The State of Queensland (Arts Queensland) 2011.
