Island, Sea and Rain

Teho Ropeyarn’s Ayarra (Rainy Season) which recently showed in the Biennale of Sydney is a masterwork and an all-encompassing response to Injinoo culture. The picture is split elementally between water and earth.

 

The dark expressive rain clouds symbolise the power and the vitality of the monsoon season bringing life to the earth. The earth section, in red ochre, is made up of decorative bands that represent various important rainforest flowers and fruit.

 

Hammerhead shark (beizam) headdresses, by Ken Thaiday Sr, are used in dance ceremonies. Thaiday’s use of feathers adds to the drama of the headdress, representing the baitfish and breaking foam around the shark’s mouth.

 

For Torres Strait Islander culture, the shark is a key totemic animal. Thaiday explains, “You have to look out for sharks when you swim in the sea. He’s the king out there and that’s why people see my headdresses as a symbol of law and order.”