 Dennis Nona
Badu Island
Dennis Nona is widely acknowledged as one the most important Torres Strait Islander artists.
Born in 1973 on Badu Island in the Torres Strait Dennis Nona was taught the traditional craft of wood carving. This, along with his cultural heritage, learnt through story telling and ceremonies, helped him develop his linocut skills which feature an intricate decorative style based on the rich narrative legends of the Torres Strait Islander people. The symbols he uses of sea creatures, masks and designs were influenced by coastal Papuan art used on trading items such as drums, with traditional designs carved on them.
Dennis feels strongly about retaining his culture through his art. He holds an Associate Diploma of Art from Cairns TAFE and a Diploma of Visual Arts in Printmaking from the Institute of Arts, Australian National University, Canberra.
Subjects and Themes
Melanesian influence. Denis’s linocuts derive from his wood-carving experiences on Badu Island, He is inspired by coastal life and family traditions
Collections
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Griffith University Art Collection, QLD
OTC Collection
South Australian Art Gallery, Adelaide
Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat, VIC
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, QLD
Griffith University Art Collection, QLD
Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa Heads, QLD
Parliament House, Canberra ACT
EXHIBITIONS
Group Exhibitions
1991 The Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1991 Group Show, Hogarth Galleries,Sydney
1991 Cairns Art Society Exhibition, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns, QLD
1992 One People One Soul, Palm Court Gallery, Cairns, QLD
1992 Colours of Black, Queensland Aboriginal Creations, Brisbane
1992 Group Exhibition, Gallery of Australian Landscape, Brisbane
1992 Cross Currents, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
1992 The Ninth Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1992/1993 New Tracks Old Land: An Exhibition of Contemporary Prints from Aboriginal Australia, touring USA and Australia
1993 Aboriginal Printmakers, Northern Territory University Art Gallery, Darwin
1993 Mixed Exhibition, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
1993 Contemporary Prints from Aboriginal Australia, Augen Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA
1993 Cairns TAFE Students, Studio One, Canberra
1993 Australian Aboriginal Printmakers, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, Washington, USA
1994 Gold Coast Art Award, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, QLD
1994 International Print Exhibition, Machida, Tokyo, Japan
1994 Aboriginal Exhibition, South Australian Art Gallery, Adelaide
1994 Malu Ural, National Maritime Museum, Sydney
1994 Aboriginal Art Award, Heritage Commission, Canberra
1995 Same but Different, Aboriginal and Islander Students at the Australian National University, School of Arts Gallery, Canberra
1995 Mixed Exhibition, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
2001 Gelam Ngzu Kazi - Dugong My Son, Australian Museum, Sydney
2001 Gelam Ngzu Kazi - Dugong My Son, Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, BC, Canada
2002 Paipa - ‘Windward’, National Museum of Australia, Canberra
2003 Beneath the Monsoon - Visions North of Capricorn, Artspace Mackay, Mackay; Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns; Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
2003 Dream Traces, Brighton University, Brighton, UK
2003 Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea, New Caledonia
2003 Bovicai Collaborative Exhibition, Qld.
2003 Coochimadlo Island Market Exhibition, Qld
2003 Indigenous Outback Exhibition, NAIDOC Day, Brisbane
2003 Michael Fox Gallery, Brisbane
2003 Pandanus Art Collabrative Exhibition, Currumbin Beach,
2003 19th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin
2003 Shell Fremantle Art Award, Fremantle
2003 Christchurch Art Gallery/Te Puna, Waiwhetu, Christchurch/Aotearoa, NZ
2004 Christchurch Art Gallery/Te Puna, Waiwhetu, Christchurch/Aotearoa, NZ
2004 Fragments, Little Stanley Street Gallery, Brisbane
2004 21st Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
2004 Angel Orensanz International Art Award, New York, USA (Winner)
2004 Robin O’Chin Memorial Art Award, Brisbane
2004 Shell Fremantle Art Award, Fremantle
2004 Artscape Group Exhibition, Brisbane
2005 22nd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award
2005 Shell Fremantle Print Award 1975-2005
2005 Busan International Print Art Festival, Busan, Korea
2005 ARC Art, Design & Craft Biennial, Brisbane
2006 bangu yibara: works from the MCA Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Bibliography
Perkins H. Beyond the Year of Indigenous Peoples in Art and Australia 1993 Vol 31 No 1 p 98-101
Illustrations, Dabu the Baby Dugong, Magaballa Press, WA
International Print Exhibition Cat. Machida.
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