Northsite Blak Flair Waru Tea Towel

Screen printed tea towel based upon Brian Robinson's 2010 linocut Waru 1. Artist: Brian Robinson, born 1973, is from Waiben (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. He is a multi-skilled contemporary artist, whose practice includes painting, printmaking, sculpture and design. 50% Linen and 50% Cotton Tea Towel 70cm x 59cm .

Artwork story: Waru 1 - Green turtles were hunted throughout the Strait and females were preferred. Sometimes they were caught on the beaches after they had finished laying their eggs in the sand; generally however, they were caught from canoes. The hunters used either harpoons [mainly in the Western and Central Islands] or single pronged spears [in the Eastern Islands]. The best time for hunting turtle was towards the end of the year during the mating season, when the turtles were often found floating lazily near the surface of the water, above the reefs. This is a time when the star constellation of Tagai appears, a celestial figure who marks a major social and seasonal change for the Torres Strait Islander people.

Blak Flair is a KickArts creative merchandise project that has been generously supported by the Christensen Fund. The project aims to develop a collection of merchandise that portrays the work of Indigenous artists from Far North Queensland, to promote their work and cultural importance to the broader community.