Since bipotaim—the Torres Strait Creole word meaning ‘before time’— oral histories have been one of the main ways that Indigenous people have ensured that important traditional knowledge is not lost. For Teho Ropeyarn, of the Angkamuthi and Yadhaykanu clans which settled Injinoo in Western Cape York, that vehicle for the safeguarding of tradition is printmaking.

Ropeyarn’s prints, brought to life with energetic design and colour, demonstrate an intimate understanding of the natural world. They convey a knowledge of specific land and waters, in Ropeyarn’s words ‘from the inside out’. Further, he says ‘the stories embedded in these prints are not just about place—they are about family, belonging, and continuity.

Date
Saturday 15 March 2025

Event
2pm
Smoking Ceremony + Welcome to Country by Bunurong Elder

2.30pm Welcome Lisa Byrne, Artistic & Executive Director

2.40pm Panel discussion with Judith Ryan AM, Teho Ropeyarn + Brian Robinson

McClelland is honoured to showcase the work of two prominent artists from Queensland's far north as part of its series of important First Nations contemporary art exhibitions, Current. Brian Robinson (Kala Lagaw Ya, born 1973) and Teho Ropeyarn (Angkamuthiand Yadhaykana, born 1988) both work in print-making and sculpture and draw upon cultural knowledge handed down through generations of storytelling, as well as bringing vibrant and distinctive creative trademarks to their respective practices. Join them as they discuss their practices in conversation with Judith Ryan AM, one of Australia's foremost authorities on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Bookings essential

Hero image: Teho Ropeyarn, Atagu Alumu, 2024