Torres Strait Islands homage inspires modern vision

Alick Tipoti carves his artwork on a sparsely populated island, off the northern tip of Queensland, in a workplace he describes as an artist’s paradise.

Alick Tipoti with Mura Ukapilamayzinga (All Connected), for News Corp’s campaign A Whole News Way to Grow. Picture: Jane Dempster

Alick Tipoti carves his artwork on a sparsely populated island 80km off the northern tip of Cape York, in a workplace he describes as an artist’s paradise.

For more than a decade, Tipoti has been a leading figure in the Torres Strait Islands’ contemporary art movement, with his intricate carvings, vast murals, sculptures and masks displayed in collections across Australia as well as institutions in Europe and Asia.

Badu Island, where Tipoti lives with his wife and four children, is his main source of inspiration, an artist’s refuge where the 47-year-old learnt how to capture the traditions of his island’s culture and craft them into a work of art and storytelling.

“For me, design and art is storytelling,” he said. “In my culture, they can’t be separated; it’s been handed down from different generations … It’s just what I do and when I’m in the zone, everything begins to work and come together.”

Last year, Tipoti was commissioned to produce one of his classic Badu Island carvings for News Corp Australia’s campaign, A Whole News Way to Grow, to depict a community’s transition from the past to an increasingly digital and connected world.

Mura Ukapilamayzinga (All Connected) by Alick Tipoti.

After six days of carving on his veranda overlooking the beach in Badu, Tipoti produced a vast 3m x 1.2m work, Mura Ukapilamayzinga (All Connected), which he presented to News Corp Australia, publisher of The Australian, on Monday. The image’s carvings reflect typical Melanesian-style patterning, with the work’s symbols depicting the coming of technology and its interconnection in the modern world.

“The carving’s story begins with the symbol of fire in the top right corner of the print, with the smoke showing the gradual evolution of technology in the world across all cultures,” Tipoti said.

He said he was proud he could produce an artwork that combines themes of interconnection and modern technology with ancient symbols central to the traditions of the Torres Strait Islands.

News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller said Tipoti’s print was an original and powerful work of art that honoured First Nations people and showcased the long story of how connections between communities have changed throughout history.