Artist Talk: Paul Bong

Join the Anthropology Museum team for a special event with artist Paul Bong.

Artist talk 11am-12pm

View the Shields: Design and functionality exhibition, hear from the artist about his artistic practice and deep commitment to cultural storytelling.

Followed by light refreshments and an opportunity to view the exhibition in your own time

Limited seats available, please register for a ticket to attend and for catering purposes.

About the artist:

Paul Bong (also known as Bindur Bullin) is a descendant of the Yidinji people, whose ancestral lands encompass the fertile rainforest region extending from Cairns in the north to Babinda in the south, and westward into the Atherton Tablelands as far as Kairi. His lineage is deeply embedded in this Country: Bong’s great-grandparents were both tribal Elders during a period when Yidinji sovereignty over these lands remained intact. His father, George Bong, was likewise raised with traditional knowledge and spoke the Yidinji language (Yidiny). However, as a result of colonial assimilation policies, he was prohibited from speaking his language while attending school and was compelled to abandon cultural practices in order to conform to white Australian society. These disruptions fractured the intergenerational transmission of language, cultural knowledge, and heritage within the Bong family.

In his practice, Bong integrates traditional Yidinji visual motifs with contemporary techniques, creating works in which each design is imbued with specific spiritual and cultural significance. Through this synthesis, his art operates as both a personal act of cultural reclamation and a broader assertion of Indigenous presence, continuity, and resilience.

The Yidinji shield, traditionally produced for ceremonial use and physical defence, holds profound cultural significance as a visual emblem of protection, authority, and resistance. Within Bong’s practice, the shield is reinterpreted and reactivated not as a historical artefact, but as a living form through which Yidinji sovereignty is asserted and sustained. Functioning simultaneously as protector and bearer of narrative, the shield anchors Bong’s works within ancestral lineage while affirming the enduring presence of Yidinji people on Country.

Courtesy of the artist and Fireworks Gallery

Your chance to purchase a copy of the publication Etching Past & Present: Paul Bong, Yidinji Artist to have it signed by the artist!

This event is held in conjunction with the 2026 National Reconciliation Week (NRW) theme, All in, a call for everyone to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation, not just during NRW, but every day. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The Exhibition:

Shields: Design and functionality showcases 133 Australian shields from the collection of the Anthropology Museum exhibited alongside a small number of loaned shields from private collections and contemporary art works by Aboriginal artists influenced by traditional shield designs.

This exhibition highlights the regional style variations, creating an opportunity for the Museum to reconnect these shields with makers and communities.

Innovative techniques and and a nuanced reimagining of our shared histories are presented in this significant exhibition through creative research carried out by each of these renowned artists.

Featuring works on paper by Jennifer Herd, an intricate study of a shield painting by Judy Watson, and significant new works, shields and their companion respective sword and spear created by Bernard Singleton Jnr and Dylan Sarra.

With thanks to UQ School of Social Science and UQ Arts

Banner image: Shields from the Anthropology Museum collection. Photo by Carl Warner

Above: Installation view of Jennifer Herd and Paul Bong works on paper, alongside shields from the Rainforest region of North Queensland, Anthropology Museum collection