Dennis Nona

Dennis Nona’s intricate linocut prints and etchings celebrate the myths and legends of the Torres Strait. He was born on the island of Badu and was taught the traditional art of wood carving as a young boy. He used this skill in developing a unique pictorial representation of the traditional stories that were once told over many hours of ceremonial dance and song. He has become one of the most well-known and important artists, credited with re-invigorating the traditions of the Torres Strait. As the modern world encroaches upon island life, Nona’s artworks have provided a vehicle for the retelling and preservation of these ancient tales. Within one picture Nona traverses all aspects of the narrative in a way which he describes as growing organically, the ancestors themselves are directing him, he says or at other times, leaving him quite flat when he cannot work at all*. This was a warrior society where fierce battles were fought between men, women, sorcerers and raiding parties. Eventually these mighty primeval powers sank into the sea to become the islands, landforms, plants and creatures of the Torres Strait that we know today. These tales are told with loud drums and elaborate masks in their ceremonial context, but Nona captures all the drama and the spectacle with his bold figurative imagery and graphic skill. He introduces a matrix of delicate, line clan patterning, binding the characters indelibly to their place of origin. The highly worked surface is built up with small, incredibly detailed chisel lines and gouges, before color is applied, then printing, producing an effect of physical tangibility that has been compared to the prints Albrecht Durer. (Roger Butler, NGA) Nona’s talent was recognized early. He attended art colleges in Cairns, Canberra and Brisbane, graduating with a Master of Arts degree, winning prizes and coming to the attention of art curators around Australia and then the world. He won, Overall Winner Award of the 24th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (2007) and has gone on to win the Works on Paper Award in subsequent years. His prints are held in major galleries globally, including many in the national gallery of Australia, Canberra and in The British Museum, London. They have given a recognizable identity to the art of the Torres Strait art and indeed, spearheaded a cultural revival. © Adrian Newstead