AAK NGENCH THAYAN | Melbourne
STRONG COUNTRY
22 March 2024 – 03 May 2024
About Exhibition
Located in the remote community of Aurukun on the West coast of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, the Wik & Kugu Arts Centre services the community's five Clans, supporting and celebrating contemporary cultural expression through the arts across the Wik and Kugu regions.
In the first collaboration of its kind, this exhibition will showcase the innovative art practices of twelve artists from the Wik & Kugu Arts Centre. Twenty-five works from both emerging and established artists will form an immersive installation in the first-ever sculpture-only exhibition at D'Lan Contemporary. The gallery's spaces will host many of the Clan's or Arukun's totemic figures, such as a large pack of camp dogs, several sculpted birds such as jabaru and brolga, a large cockatoo installation by recent NAATSIA Award-winning artist Keith Wikmunea and a flying fox installation by Winchanam artist Alair Pambegan. The iconic camp dogs are cheeky but serious, with a number of these works having been painted in colour palettes unseen before; it will also be the first time that Keith Wikmunea has exhibited his large format works alongside the rest of the Wik & Kugu male cohort of artists.
Works
Bruce Bell, Ku' Manyi (puppy dog), 2023
Bruce Bell,
Ku' Manyi (puppy dog) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
43 x 38 x 16 cm
PROVENANCE
Wik & Kugu Arts centre, Aurukun Shire Council, Queensland, cat. no. 247-23
Sold
Bruce Bell, Ku' Knox, 2023
Bruce Bell,
Ku' Knox 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
62 x 64 x 20 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts centre, Aurukun Shire Council, Queensland, cat. no. 211-23
Sold
Bruce Bell, Ku' Ngak Min!, 2023
Bruce Bell,
Ku' Ngak Min! 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
55 x 52 x 13 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Art centre, AurukunShire Council, cat. no. 266-23
Sold
Bruce Bell, Ku' Flame, 2023
Bruce Bell,
Ku' Flame 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
63 x 62 x 16 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Queensland, cat. no. 35-23
Sold
Roderick Yunkaporta, Ku' Ngekanam (Dingo), 2023
Roderick Yunkaporta,
Ku' Ngekanam (Dingo) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
45 x 71 x 15 cm
PROVENANCE
Wik & Kugu Arts Centre Aurukun Shire Council, Queensland, cat. no. 224-23
Sold
Roderick Yunkaporta, Ku' (dog), 2023
Roderick Yunkaporta,
Ku' (dog) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
34 x 64 x 14 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Art Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 249-23
Sold
Garry Namponan, Ku' Eeremangk, 2023
Garry Namponan,
Ku' Eeremangk 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
65 x 102 x 17 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council, Queensland, cat. no. 214-23
Sold
Garry Namponan, Ku' (dog), 2023
Garry Namponan,
Ku' (dog) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
62 x 116 x 25 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu arts centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 122-23
$12,500
On Hold
Lex Namponan, Ku' Wewm (Red Ku'), 2023
Lex Namponan,
Ku' Wewm (Red Ku') 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
41 x 78 x 25 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 213-23
Sold
Bevan Namponan, Ku' (dog), 2023
Bevan Namponan,
Ku' (dog) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
67 x 100 x 12 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 272-23
$8,000
For Sale
Leo Namponan, Ku' Ngekanam, 2023
Leo Namponan,
Ku' Ngekanam 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
42 x 90 x 22 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Queensland, cat. no. 237-22
Sold
Leigh Namponan, Ku' Eeremangk, 2023
Leigh Namponan,
Ku' Eeremangk 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
37 x 67 x 15 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu arts centre, Aurukun, Queensland, cat. no. 162-23
$7,000
On Hold
Leigh Namponan, Ku' (dog), 2023
Leigh Namponan,
Ku' (dog) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
17 x 48 x 36 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun, Queensland, cat. no. 225-23
Sold
Keith Wikmunea, Theewith yot.a!, 2024
Keith Wikmunea,
Theewith yot.a! 2024
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
303 x 160 x 120 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 7-24
Sold
Alair Pambegan, Kalben - Flying Fox Story, 2024
Alair Pambegan,
Kalben - Flying Fox Story 2024
ochre with binders on milkwood, discarded rope hand dyed with Aurukun red bush roots, discarded steel frame with a brushed finish
181 x 185 x 60 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 8-24
$40,000
For Sale
Leigh Namponan, Minh Nguk - Owl Totem, 2023
Leigh Namponan,
Minh Nguk - Owl Totem 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
55 x 25 x 10 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 90-23
$5,000
For Sale
Leigh Namponan, Minh Nguk (Large & Small Flying Owl Totem), 2023
Leigh Namponan,
Minh Nguk (Large & Small Flying Owl Totem) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
14 x 54 x 36 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts centre, Aurukun Shire Council, Queensland, cat. no. 9-23, 5-23
Sold
Garry Namponan, Minh Keerk (Red-tailed Black Cockatoo), 2023
Garry Namponan,
Minh Keerk (Red-tailed Black Cockatoo) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
51 x 60 x 26.5 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Arts Centre Queensland, cat. no. 263-23
Sold
Hans Poonkamelya, Minh Keech (Great White Egret), 2023
Hans Poonkamelya,
Minh Keech (Great White Egret) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
51 x 33 x 10 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 268-23
Sold
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta, Minh Kayyuw (Sacred Ibis), 2023
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta,
Minh Kayyuw (Sacred Ibis) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
55 x 40 x 45 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no.123-23
Sold
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta, Mont (Jabiru), 2023
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta,
Mont (Jabiru) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
107 x 54 x 39.5 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 141-23
$8,000
For Sale
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta, Minh Kor (Brolga), 2023
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta,
Minh Kor (Brolga) 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
80 x 23 x 23 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik & Kugu Arts Centre, Queensland, cat. no. 61-23
$6,000
For Sale
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta, Minh Mont, 2023
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta,
Minh Mont 2023
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
143 x 117 x 100 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik and Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun Shire Council Queensland, cat. no. 248-23
$14,000
For Sale
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta, Minh Keerk (Black Cockatoos), 2024
Steve Ngakapoorgum Yunkaporta,
Minh Keerk (Black Cockatoos) 2024
natural earth pigments with synthetic binders on carved milkwood
19 x 62 x 49 cm
PROVENANCE
The Artist Wik and Kugu Arts Centre Aurukun Shire Council, cat. no. 10-24
$6,000
For Sale