The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery is delighted to host Alick Tipoti's first international exhibition, from 20 September to 15 November 2008. after taking his show on a national tour of Australia, Alick was present for the opening of his London exhibition and welcomed the guests in his native language. The exhibition was opened by Mr John Dauth LVO, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. This was followed by an address by Andrew Craig, Agent General for Queensland.
‘When I work late at night carving traditional designs, I can sense the
presence of the spirits... I vividly remember an unusual event late one
evening where I was guided to re-sketch and change the
interpretation of a block I was about to carve. This was just one of the
many occasions when I have connected with the Zugubal who have
instructed me on the proper ways of our cultural traditions.’ ALICK TIPOTI
Alick Tipoti is a native of the Torres Strait Islands, the tiny archipelago set between the
northernmost tip of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Born in 1975, he is one of the leading
exponents of the remarkable Torres Strait Island print-making movement that has sprung up over
the last decade. Drawing on the ancient board-carving traditions – and the mythic tales - of his
people, Tipoti creates virtuoso linocuts of extraordinary complexity and power. His subject matter
is the creation stories of the Torres Strait Islands, the tales of the spirit ancestors, legendary
warriors and fantastical beasts who formed that world and its riches.
Tipoti’s genius was recognized when he won the prestigious Lin Onus Prize at Australia’s National
Indigenous Heritage Art Awards in 1998. He has since exhibited at both the National Gallery of
Australia in Canberra, and the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.