Billy Missi

Country/Region: Torres Strait (view other artists)

Tribe: Mabuiag Island

Village: Torres Strait

I first became interested in art when I saw a display of paintings done by local Torres Strait Islander artists in 1992. I was so inspired that I wanted to do the same, but having a family to support, I had to continue crayfishing as I needed a regular income so making art had to wait. Deeply inside of me I really wanted to express my traditional culture through art. Dancing and singing are part of our culture, but when I met Dennis Nona and saw his beautiful prints, I was encouraged to give up diving full time and to study under him in our local TAFE program. We established a printmaking workshop, called the Mualgau Minnaral Art Centre, together through the Kubin Community Council on my island, Moa.

Billy Missi’s print Dhangal Um Araik was highly commended in the Lin Onus Youth Award 2000, part of Australia’s premier Indigenous Heritage Art Award held annually at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin.

Subjects and Themes

Melanesian influence. He is inspired by coastal life and family traditions and local customs, mythology and stories

Collections

Cairns Regional Gallery, Qld
Australian National Gallery, ACT
Torres Strait Regional Authority (Thursday Island), Qld
Badu Island State School, TSI
Canberra Office of Torres Strait Affairs
Parliament House, Canberra, ACT

EXHIBITIONS

Group Exhibitions

2001 Gelam Ngzu Kazi - Dugong My Son, Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, BC, Canada

2001 Gelam Ngzu Kazi - Dugong My Son, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW

2000 The Art of Place, The Fifth National Heritage Art Award, Touring Exhibition, The Fifth National Indigenous Heritage Art Awards including Old Parliament House, ACT; Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery, NSW; Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide; State Library of NSW, Sydney; The Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment, Alice Springs; John Curtin Gallery, Unviersity of Technology, Perth, WA

2000 Bitching Prints, Indigenous Artist work with master Printmaker Theo Treblay of No Fixed Press.

Bibliography

The Art of Place National Indigenous Heritage Awards catalogue, 2000

VIEW SHORT BIOGRAPHY