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About the Artist - Mavis Ngok Thaathunpum Benjamin
Thaayorre people
Born 1973
"I grew up in Pormpuraaw. I speak two traditional languages plus English. When I was a girl we lived in a tin houses with no electricity. Our shop was a tin shack with no refrigeration no electricity nothing. My mom taught me how to hunt for turtle, crabs, fishing and use of plants. I went to primary school here them went to State School in Herberton. I did not like it there and then went to Warick. I went till grade 10 and then wet to Wangeti and did year 11 and 12. I repeated grade 12 twice then went to work as a cashier here at council office. I worked at council office fore two years then worked at airport. Worked at our local community heath organisation named Pormpur Paanth and worked in administration office for 3 years. I raised two boys named Zachariah and Jamie. I have always enjoyed painting and drawing. I enjoy sewing dresses and skirts kids clothes. I like to paint my totems. The totems that belong to my father and mother. Totems are our ancestors. Totems which country we belong to. Totems are what we become when we die. By painting my totems I am connecting to culture and my identity."
About Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre's Sea Turtles
"Sea Turtles are a very important totem for us. They lay their eggs in the sand of our beaches. We gather the eggs as a food source. We believe turtles wrestle with lighting out at sea when a cyclone comes. This keeps the destructive storm out to sea away from land and our communities.
Of all marine animals, turtles are most affected by ghost nets drifting in the ocean. As they swim, they feed in the currents that carry the nets. The Gulf of Carpentaria is a hotspot for both ghost nets and marine turtles, as this region is prime habitat for many species of turtle. It is also a fertile fishing ground for small and large - scale fishing enterprises. Most of the ghost nets found on Australian coasts come from Thai, Vietnamese, South Korean and Chinese boats operating illegally in the Arafura Sea and Timorese Sea. Using ghost net creatively has helped raise awareness both nationally and internationally, of the environmental impact of these nets in our oceans."
Material
Ghost net, aluminium wire, plastic trellis, rope and twine
Dimensions
77 x 50 x 12cm
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