Date of Birth: 12/04/2004
Recent Exhibitions
- 2023, June | NorthSite Contemporary Arts, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
- 2022, October | AGSA, Adelaide Tarnanthi 2022 Online exhibition
- 2022, August | Darwin Convention Centre Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) 2022/li>
- 2022, July | Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Exhibition 2022/li>
- 2021, August | DAAF 2021 ONLINE/li>
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Rita Kaitap
Date of Birth: 07/09/1996
Born at Thursday Island and grew up on Badu Island with her very big family. I grew up leaning the importance of working hard to look after my family which included planning gardens, and tending and maintain the gardens, root veggies to different tropical fruits including watermelon, mangoes and coconut and tending to the shores at home with mum and older sisters as well as fetching firewood, while the brother’s sought seafood. Coming from a big family, Rita now lives with her husband and family on Kubin.
Recent Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Loretta Glanville
Date of Birth: 09/01/1975
Languages: English, Kala Lagaw Ya
I grew up in the Torres Strait. I am from a cultural background where my parents taught me about the local knowledge of the land. I have leaved on Kubin, Moa Island during my childhood and I’m from a family of 10. I would like to tell a particular stories and sake a small film on my knowledge of Gelam, Seel, Yalbuz, kara my and Mirarath.
Recent Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
- 2022, August | Darwin Convention Centre Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) 2022
- 2022, July | Cairns convention Centre Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) 2022
- 2021, August | DAAF 2021 ONLINE
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Fred Joe
Date of Birth: 30/09/1967
Language/s: Kala Kawaw Ya, Kriol
I come from Koedal, Kurrzi and Dhangal totem through my parents. I live and grew up in Kubin Village on Mua island in the western cluster. My art work describes the stories told by our ancestors through their dreams, which are passed down by our fathers to father to son. This transcripts in our mind, then the stories are put into painting, printing and carving.
Recent Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
- 2022, November | Collins St, Melbourne King and Wood Malleson Fundraising Exhibition
- 2022, October | DAGSA, Adelaide Tarnanthi 2022 Online exhibition
- 2022, October | Tarnanthi 2022 Adelaide SA
- 2022, August | Darwin Convention Centre Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) 2022
- 2022, July | Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF)
- 2021, August | DAFF 2021 Online
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Eldrina Warria
Date of Birth: 31/05/1995
Group Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Danie Savage
Born: 1977
Languages: Creole, English, Kala Lagaw Ya
Group Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
- 2022, October | Tarnanthi 2022 Adelaide SA
- 2022, August | Darwin Convention Centre Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) 2022
- 2022, July | Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Exhibition 2022
- 2021, August | DAAF 2021 ONLINE
- 2018, October | Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Woolloongabba, QLD Malu Mabaigal – Seafaring People
- 2018, June | KickArts Contemporary Art Gallery – Cairns City QLD Malu Maibaigal – Seafaring People
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Babetha Nawia
Date of Birth: 03/01/1999
Language/s: Kala Lagaw Ya
I am the fifth child out of five, the language most used in my household is Kala Lagaw Ya and I live on Kubin Moa Island. My birthplace is Thursday Island and where I spent the first years of my kindy. My family then moved to Moa Island where I did grade 1-3 at St Paul’s Community, then years 4-7 at Kubin Village and graduated primary school. I attended boarding school at St Ursula’s Toowoomba, around year 11 I relocated to Mount Saint Bernards Herberton and graduated year 12. City life was very different from Kubin. I would get homesick all the time because I wasn’t able to do what I do on the islands, like walking on the reef fishing, swimming in the freshwater creeks or saltwater, bush bashing, making a fire in the backyard and most of all being with my family. One thing I learnt from boarding was to be independent.
After high school it was then a search to find my adulthood, what were my options and opportunities at this point. After spending 3 years in Cairns, I returned home at the age of 20. I worked at Torres Strait Regional Council for a year as an administration officer, I then worked at our primary school as a cleaner and admin. Doing two jobs at once was very eye-opening. This unlocked skills, I didn’t know I had. It was a great opportunity to thicken my resume and get more experience, but I knew it was something I didn’t want to do in the long run. A new job was opening at our local art centre – Moa Arts. I succeed as an applicant and I’ve never been happier. I’m currently working as their Sales and Marketing Assistant, more new openings to bigger and better opportunities.
Group Exhibitions
- 2023, June | Northsite, Cairns Malu Bardthar Dapar
- 2022, October | Tarnanthi 2022 Adelaide SA
- 2022, August | Darwin Convention Centre Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) 2022
- 2022, July | Cairns Convention Centre Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) Exhibition 2022
Words: Courtesy of Moa Arts
Keemon Williams
Keemon Williams (b.1999) is a queer Meanjin (Brisbane) based artist of Koa, Kuku Yalanji and Meriam Mir descent. He utilizes an array of mediums old and new to expand his relationships with location, personal histories and cultural plasticity. Through practice he forges belonging within all parts of the self.
Kim Ah Sam
Kim Ah Sam’s weaving practice embodies storytelling and knowledge-sharing and is tied to the renewal and reconnection with her Kalkadoon father’s country and culture. Kim explores weaving as a therapeutic practice towards a process of cultural healing and a way to address feelings of disconnection and reconnection with her Country.
Jack Wilkie-Jans
Jack Wilkie-Jans is an artist, arts worker and Aboriginal affairs advocate from Tropical North Queensland of Aboriginal, British, Vanuatuan and Danish heritage. He is the Tribal Great Grandson of preeminent artist, Dr. Thancoupie Fletcher James AO.
Jack originally started his career in the arts as a volunteer arts worker, curator, events and exhibitions manager. He has since gone on to work freelance in the art industry’s Indigenous sector across a number of fields including advocacy, grant writing, event management, and also as an accomplished artist.
Exhibiting as an artist since 2011 in numerous solo and group exhibitions, as well as at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair over the years, Jack is an alumnus of the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Arts Leadership Programme. In 2011 he was
awarded the Senator Jan McLucas Volunteer Recognition Award for his work with youth at risk, youth charities and for his efforts in strengthening the local Cairns arts and cultural scene.
In 2011 Jack was a recipient of a Starburst grant which was funded by Youth Arts Queensland. Managed by him, the ensuing project entailed arts mentoring workshops, resulting in the first exhibition opportunity for a number of young and emerging Cairns artists.
Also a writer, Jack’s work includes freelancing as an arts researcher, grant writer and reviewer. He has written for numerous websites, newspapers and independent magazines. Most recently, he served as the Grants Writer, Sponsorship Officer and Media & Promotions Officer for the Australia: Defending the Oceans project. Launching in Monaco in 2016, the project was a series of twelve exhibitions across North America and Europe (including the United Nations headquarters in both New York City and Geneva) and showcased contemporary Indigenous sculpture. The project concluded in late 2018.
Jack Wilkie-Jans has been acknowledged for his work as an artist and across the art industry many times. For example, in 2013 he was nominated for the Cairns Region Australia Day Awards for the Cultural Award. In 2015 was made an inaugural Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society. In 2018 he was a Baton Bearer for the Commonwealth Games relay.