Gelam Nguzu Kazi - Gelam My Son, 2001

linocut

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Edition: 1 of 99
Paper size: 52 x 76 cm
Image size: 52 x 76 cm

Exhibited: Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son: The First Exhibition of Limited Edition Linocuts by the Artists of the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective from Mua Island in the Torres Strait, curated by Adrian Newstead, organised by the Australian Art Print Network for the Kubin Community Council, Mua Island, Torres Strait, 2001.
Artwork story: Long ago at Bulbul on the Eastern side of Mua (Mua Island), lived a young boy, Gelam and his mother, Usar. As Gelam grew to an appropriate age his mother made him a bow, arrow and a water container to use to hunt goeynaw (Torres Strait pigeon). After returning from his hunting trips, Gelam would keep all of the fat pigeons and give all the lean ones to his mother. Each time when Usar cooked her bird she noticed that her fire flames were very small but Gelam’s were big because of all the fat dripping on to the fire from his bird. Seeing this, Usar made a plan to punish him for the trick he was playing on her. The next day when Gelam went out hunting to Gerain (tribal area of Mua), Usar covered herself in clay and waited behind a tree where he was hunting for the birds. As Gelam got closer, Usar jumped from behind the tree to scare him off. When he saw Usar he dropped his bow and arrow and started running back to Bulbul. Usar took a shorter route back to the camp and washed off the clay before he returned. As Gelam arrived, Usar who was already sitting near her fire pretending she didn’t know what had happened, asked Gelam for the birds. Gelam told her that he had seen a Dhogai (witch, and in fright had dropped all his birds, and left his bow and arrow behind. Usar continued to torment Gelam, until one day when cleaning her hair for head lice, he noticed a patch of clay at the back of one of her ears. Gelam thought to himself: ‘Ah, it was you who was playing these games on me. I’m going to punish you for what you have done to me.” The next day Gelam pretended to go hunting for birds. Instead, however, he went to cut a tree and began carving a dugong out of it. After a few days he finished it and took the dugong down to the beach at Gerain to try it in the water. He found it was too light, so he sent the dugong to Mabuaig Island. The next day, he carved another dugong but found it was too heavy so he sent it off to Badu Island. Then he tried a third time and again he found it off balance, so he sent it off to the mainland. That night while he was sleeping, his father came to him in a dream. In his dream his father showed him a special kind of leaf to find the right tree for his dugong. The next day Gelam went off again and found the tree his father showed him in his dream. He carved a dugong and tested it in the water. This time it was the right one for him. Ina kaine Gelam “now this is Gelam’s dugong,” he said to himself. He then placed inside of it the best fruit and soil off the island and went back home to his mother. The next day as Usar went fishing on the reef, Gelam took his dugong and as he placed it on a rock near the water, he left his nostril print on it. He then jumped in it and pushed off the rock and left his footprint behind. Usar, who was walking along the reef edge at Bulbul had a basket full of fish. Gelam swam to her and when she called out to Gelam to come and catch it. Gelam a Nguzu kazi hi melagia ulail e, dhangal senu ngapa koengaia pasia walmai ima e. “Gelam my son, where are you? There’s a dugong here swimming near the reef.” Gelam again swam towards her and opened the front part of the dugong. Usar saw Gelam in the dugong and he told her that he had found out about her tricks. He told her he was running away. Leaving his mother on the reef edge he then turned away and started swimming towards Nagir, but it was too close to her. He returned and swam to Yam, and on to Yorke and then to Darnley but again from all of these islands he could still see his mother standing there and crying at the edge of the reef. From Darnley, he saw a little island to the east and swam towards it. After arriving, he turned around and he couldn’t see his mother. Ina lag ngath ngau mudh aimaik, “this place I will make my home.” He lay down next to the island facing toward the east but the sugar gub (North-Easterly wind) was too strong and was choking him as it was rushing up into his nostrils. So he turned around lying southeast and sneezed out two seeds which formed the islands of Davar and Waier. A stingray who was chased by sharks on the reef east of Gelam, swam and found shelter near him and formed the island of Mer. Usar was left standing at the edge of the reef crying for Gelam until the tide came up and covered her. She turned into a rock which can still be seen today. When the tide is low, fresh water flows from the centre of the rock as she continues to cry tears for Gelam, her son who ran away. Story as told by Lilian Bosun

Stockroom506 of 549

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David Bosun

b. 1973

Region: Torres Strait Islands
Community: Kubin (Moa Island)
Language group: Kala Lagaw Ya; Kriol

Gelam Nguzu Kazi - Gelam My Son, 2001

linocut

Enquire for price

Edition: 1 of 99
Paper size: 52 x 76 cm
Image size: 52 x 76 cm

Exhibited: Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son: The First Exhibition of Limited Edition Linocuts by the Artists of the Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective from Mua Island in the Torres Strait, curated by Adrian Newstead, organised by the Australian Art Print Network for the Kubin Community Council, Mua Island, Torres Strait, 2001.
Artwork story: Long ago at Bulbul on the Eastern side of Mua (Mua Island), lived a young boy, Gelam and his mother, Usar. As Gelam grew to an appropriate age his mother made him a bow, arrow and a water container to use to hunt goeynaw (Torres Strait pigeon). After returning from his hunting trips, Gelam would keep all of the fat pigeons and give all the lean ones to his mother. Each time when Usar cooked her bird she noticed that her fire flames were very small but Gelam’s were big because of all the fat dripping on to the fire from his bird. Seeing this, Usar made a plan to punish him for the trick he was playing on her. The next day when Gelam went out hunting to Gerain (tribal area of Mua), Usar covered herself in clay and waited behind a tree where he was hunting for the birds. As Gelam got closer, Usar jumped from behind the tree to scare him off. When he saw Usar he dropped his bow and arrow and started running back to Bulbul. Usar took a shorter route back to the camp and washed off the clay before he returned. As Gelam arrived, Usar who was already sitting near her fire pretending she didn’t know what had happened, asked Gelam for the birds. Gelam told her that he had seen a Dhogai (witch, and in fright had dropped all his birds, and left his bow and arrow behind. Usar continued to torment Gelam, until one day when cleaning her hair for head lice, he noticed a patch of clay at the back of one of her ears. Gelam thought to himself: ‘Ah, it was you who was playing these games on me. I’m going to punish you for what you have done to me.” The next day Gelam pretended to go hunting for birds. Instead, however, he went to cut a tree and began carving a dugong out of it. After a few days he finished it and took the dugong down to the beach at Gerain to try it in the water. He found it was too light, so he sent the dugong to Mabuaig Island. The next day, he carved another dugong but found it was too heavy so he sent it off to Badu Island. Then he tried a third time and again he found it off balance, so he sent it off to the mainland. That night while he was sleeping, his father came to him in a dream. In his dream his father showed him a special kind of leaf to find the right tree for his dugong. The next day Gelam went off again and found the tree his father showed him in his dream. He carved a dugong and tested it in the water. This time it was the right one for him. Ina kaine Gelam “now this is Gelam’s dugong,” he said to himself. He then placed inside of it the best fruit and soil off the island and went back home to his mother. The next day as Usar went fishing on the reef, Gelam took his dugong and as he placed it on a rock near the water, he left his nostril print on it. He then jumped in it and pushed off the rock and left his footprint behind. Usar, who was walking along the reef edge at Bulbul had a basket full of fish. Gelam swam to her and when she called out to Gelam to come and catch it. Gelam a Nguzu kazi hi melagia ulail e, dhangal senu ngapa koengaia pasia walmai ima e. “Gelam my son, where are you? There’s a dugong here swimming near the reef.” Gelam again swam towards her and opened the front part of the dugong. Usar saw Gelam in the dugong and he told her that he had found out about her tricks. He told her he was running away. Leaving his mother on the reef edge he then turned away and started swimming towards Nagir, but it was too close to her. He returned and swam to Yam, and on to Yorke and then to Darnley but again from all of these islands he could still see his mother standing there and crying at the edge of the reef. From Darnley, he saw a little island to the east and swam towards it. After arriving, he turned around and he couldn’t see his mother. Ina lag ngath ngau mudh aimaik, “this place I will make my home.” He lay down next to the island facing toward the east but the sugar gub (North-Easterly wind) was too strong and was choking him as it was rushing up into his nostrils. So he turned around lying southeast and sneezed out two seeds which formed the islands of Davar and Waier. A stingray who was chased by sharks on the reef east of Gelam, swam and found shelter near him and formed the island of Mer. Usar was left standing at the edge of the reef crying for Gelam until the tide came up and covered her. She turned into a rock which can still be seen today. When the tide is low, fresh water flows from the centre of the rock as she continues to cry tears for Gelam, her son who ran away. Story as told by Lilian Bosun