Lex Namponan is a Wik sculptor from Aurukun, Far North Queensland, working within the enduring Aurukun carving tradition. His practice combines inherited ceremonial knowledge with the technical innovations introduced in the mission era, producing sculptural forms that retain cultural authority while embracing contemporary refinements. Namponan’s works are carved from locally sourced Milkwood and decorated with ochres, occasionally complemented by contemporary pigments, such as the striking blue seen here.
This sculpture depicts the Ku’ Min — the camp dog form of Ku’, an ancestral being tied to the Apalech ceremonial clan and the story place at Eeremangk near the Knox River. In this form, Ku’ is both a spiritual figure and a totemic link to Country. His journey from Western Australia to Cape York and the gifting of language to the region is a central narrative in Wik oral history. These story places are still honoured through song and dance at ceremonial events.
Aurukun’s ritual sculpture tradition has been documented since at least 1888. Ursula McConnel’s significant early 20th-century recordings and collections now reside in the South Australian Museum. In the mission era, support for certain ceremonial practices, combined with the introduction of steel tools, allowed for new levels of technical refinement in carving – developments reflected in Lex and Garry Namponan’s complex and finely finished sculptures.
Major exhibitions featuring Aurukun sculpture include Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art (Art Gallery of South Australia, various years), Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest (Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, 2003–2004), and Aurukun Carvers: Camp Dogs and Other Creatures (Cairns Regional Gallery, 2011).
Ku’ Min | Camp Dog, (251-23), 2023
PROVENANCE
Wik & Kugu Arts, Queensland, Australia
$5,000 USD
Lex Namponan is a Wik sculptor from Aurukun, Far North Queensland, working within the enduring Aurukun carving tradition. His practice combines inherited ceremonial knowledge with the technical innovations introduced in the mission era, producing sculptural forms that retain cultural authority while embracing contemporary refinements. Namponan’s works are carved from locally sourced Milkwood and decorated with ochres, occasionally complemented by contemporary pigments, such as the striking blue seen here.
This sculpture depicts the Ku’ Min — the camp dog form of Ku’, an ancestral being tied to the Apalech ceremonial clan and the story place at Eeremangk near the Knox River. In this form, Ku’ is both a spiritual figure and a totemic link to Country. His journey from Western Australia to Cape York and the gifting of language to the region is a central narrative in Wik oral history. These story places are still honoured through song and dance at ceremonial events.
Aurukun’s ritual sculpture tradition has been documented since at least 1888. Ursula McConnel’s significant early 20th-century recordings and collections now reside in the South Australian Museum. In the mission era, support for certain ceremonial practices, combined with the introduction of steel tools, allowed for new levels of technical refinement in carving – developments reflected in Lex and Garry Namponan’s complex and finely finished sculptures.
Major exhibitions featuring Aurukun sculpture include Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art (Art Gallery of South Australia, various years), Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest (Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, 2003–2004), and Aurukun Carvers: Camp Dogs and Other Creatures (Cairns Regional Gallery, 2011).
Other available artworks
