Badu Island’s Alick Tipoti (middle) has been named a finalist in the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards after four wins in the prestigious prize. Photo: Supplied.
Cape York and the Torres Strait’s rich Indigenous history is home to four finalists of the 42nd edition of Australia’s most prestigious First Nations art prize.
Alick Tipoti (Badu Island), Colina Wymarra (Seisia), Lisa Michl Ko-manggén (Kokoberrin) and Naomi Hobson (Coen) were named among 71 finalists in the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) earlier this month, a testament to the quality of art in the region.
Among these talented artists is a NATSIAA veteran, who has previously won the awards four times across various categories.
Mr Tipoti took home his first victory in 2003 in the Works on Paper category, before going on to win the same category in 2007, the People’s Choice Award in 2008, and the 3D category in 2014.
The artist said he had been out of the award circuit for a while, but was returning with a bang with a large three-piece sculpture in the 3D category.
“It is a fibreglass sculpture representing the spiritual waterspouts, and they’re over two metres,” he said.
“I feel strong about cultural sculptures entering into awards; that’s where I feel I have a strong chance.”
Mr Tipoti’s artistic practice was initially focused on linocuts, carving intricate patterns passed down as a child from his Elders, but he has since transitioned to fibreglass as a way to connect with his history.
“My forefathers, they catch the turtle for ceremonial [purposes]; it’s a delicacy, and nothing goes to waste,” he explained.
“The carapace of the shell was used to create ceremonial masks; now, it is against protocol for me as a modern-day person to go and catch turtles to collect shells for the sake of making a mask to be hung in a museum, so I don’t practice that.
“That’s what inspired me to do fibreglassing, because I stain them to make it look like turtle shell.”
Along with visual art, Mr Tipoti said he also held a deep passion for song and dance as a way of keeping culture alive.
“I’ve ventured into my grandfather’s footsteps of embracing song and dance,” he said.
“Song is because I believe that’s the next best medicine to revive our language, and dance is because I believe that shows our living culture, rather than we just talk about culture.
“I invest a lot of time in my children with art to promote and keep our cultural fire burning.”
The 2025 Telstra NATSIAA exhibition will open on 21 June at MAGNT Darwin, and the winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on 8 August.
