Gabe Waterman Wik & Kugu Aurukun 2022

Interview between Gabe Waterman and Mark Hogan about the upcoming exhibitions and events that are happening and the Art Centre's involvement and preparation for CIAF - Cairns Indigenous Arts Centre, as well as an exhibition in Darwin.
Wik & Kugu Arts is a place where traditional and contemporary cultural expression is nurtured and some of the most highly collectable art forms in Australia can be found. Beginning as an independent arts initiative in the 1970s, it wasn’t until 2001 that the centre was officially established to service the five Clan groups of Aurukun: Apalech, Putch, Sara, Wanam and Winchanam. Renowned for contemporary ritual sculpture, fibre-art and ochre-based painting practices, Aurukun’s visual art embodies Ancestral narratives that support and maintain spiritual and historical connections to Country. The cultural precinct of Wik & Kugu includes a men’s workshop, a women’s painting studio and a small gallery space.

Aurukun’s five Clan groups have their own unique histories and understanding of the Land as well as interlinked connections with other Clans. There are no simple political linguistic groups in Aurukun. The people do own, by right of Clan birth and Country, a recognised variety of languages. With a population of 1200 people, Aurukun is home to one of only 12 strong Traditional Aboriginal Language’s left in the country. Wik-Mungkan, the lingua franca of the community, is also considered the only “living and thriving” Traditional Aboriginal Language left in Queensland (AIATSIS 2020).