Badu Island artist Matilda Nona says she hopes her innovative ink-making technique inspires other Torres Strait creatives to “start playing with stuff that’s already on our island” when it comes to sourcing materials. Photo: Supplied.
Just over a month ago, Matilda Nona had no idea what she was going to create with her new homemade inks – she only knew she felt more connected with her work than ever before.
On 12 April, the Badu Island artist unveiled her new collection at NorthSite Contemporary Arts in Cairns, which has been painted with inks she made herself with natural materials found on Country.
Ms Nona dove into the craft of ink-making while working under the guidance of NorthSite Contemporary Arts’ Dian Darmansjah as the inaugural recipient of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s (CIAF) Catapult professional development program.
The inks, which involved gathering mangrove bark, orchids, and ochres from her Torres Strait homelands, then cooking, burning and fermenting these materials to produce organic inks, helped Ms Nona express her culture and stories in a way commercial ink never could.
“It’s nerve-racking for me; I don’t know if people will like this natural ink, this kind of work, so this is just kind of putting it out there and seeing if there’s a market for it,” she said.
The artist said the natural inks had given her work a whole new look, but she has remained true to her style of painting and carving.
Reflecting on her innovative ink-making technique, Ms Nona said she not only hoped audiences would appreciate the work and cultural stories they told, but also that other Torres Strait artists would be inspired to go on their own ink-making journey and revitalise traditional methods.
“I want them to see the wow factor in it,” Ms Nona said.
“Our people have practiced rock painting and played with ochres and stuff like that, so what I’m doing is reviving that; you don’t see much of Torres Strait art that’s related to ochres, everyone’s just thinking ochre is Aboriginal, but we’re two different mob of people.
“I’m hoping that I’m opening up new ways for Torres Strait artists to see the natural materials and use ochre and that kind of thing, and open the doorway for them to broaden their minds and start playing with stuff that’s already on our island.”
