Skip to content

Collection

An image of Mosquito corroboree by Thanakupi

Thanakupi

(Australia 1937–23 Apr 2011)

Language group
Thanaquith, West Cape region
Title
Mosquito corroboree
Other titles:
Mosquito corroboree, two by two
Place of origin
Cairns → Queensland → Australia
Year
1994
Media category
Sculpture
Materials used
hand-built stoneware
Dimensions

27.0 x 32.0cm

Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
Credit
Gift of Dr and Mrs Ronald K Faithfull 2001
Accession number
461.2001
Copyright
© Thancoupie
Location
Not on display
Further information

Thancoupie is the most prominent Aboriginal potter and in 2001 a retrospective exhibition was held at the Brisbane City Gallery which also toured to Cairns. Her first solo exhibition was in 1972 and therefore her professional career has extended for almost 30 years. Born in Naperanum (Weipa), Thancoupie trained at East Sydney Technical College. She returned to north Queensland after completing her studies and having a number of successful exhibitions in Sydney.

Thancoupie's spherical pots explore the theme of the meaning of life through the use of the circle. The design on this pot depicts the Nguul (Mosquito) Corroboree. Like Noah's Ark, the animals attended the ceremony two by two and this pot depicts several pairs of animals.

Australian Art Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2001

Bibliography (4)

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2002 2002, 'Year in review', pg. 8-25, Domain, 2002, 9.

Natasha Brook, Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, 'Thancoupie', pg. 134, Domain, 2004, 134 (colour illus.).

Grace Cochrane, One sun one moon: Aboriginal art in Australia, ‘Cross-over: Two-way influences in contemporary Indigenous design’, pg. 261-269, Sydney, 2007, 263 (colour illus.).

Hetti Perkins and Ken Watson, A material thing - objects from the collection 1999, Sydney, 1999.

Exhibition history (4)

National Women's Art Exhibition, Hogarth Galleries, Australia, 09 Mar 1995–01 Apr 1995

Gamarada, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 15 Nov 1996–16 Feb 1997

A material thing - Objects from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 31 Aug 1998–09 Feb 1999

One sun, one moon, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 03 Jul 2007–02 Dec 2007