artspace
Kirisal is the plural form of kiris, which means 'lorikeet'.
In addition to being a delicacy, the lorikeets alerted villagers
to visitors from the birds' vantage at the top of mango trees.
carving traditional designs, I can
sense the presence of the spirits,
who I acknowledge and thank for
their guidance and help in visualising
the words they have given me,"
he explained to Michael Kershaw
of the Australian Art Print Network.
"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," he said. "This was just
one of the many occasions when the
Zugubal have instructed me on the
proper ways of our cultural traditions."
Because of this deep connection,
Alick's linocuts are full of symbolism
and often secret, sacred information.
According to Carly Lane, who curated
this year's Indigenous Art Triennial, that
is what makes Australian Indigenous art
so important culturally and adds
enormously to its international appeal.
Speaking about the works in this year's
exhibition, she told The Australian,
"Many of these works embody
traditional notions of secrecy, the
revelation of ancestral knowledge over
Detail of Kirisal.
Gagaiyiew Maril
depicts the energy
and force of the gagai
(bow) when it is pulled.
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