OUTBACK ART
Unlocking Lockhart
A group of young artists are reinventing their culture - and commanding attention in the art world - with their fresh and contemporary painting.
Story and photos Michele Helmrich
Lockhart River is something of a phenomenon. This tiny settlement on the eastern edge of Queensland's Cape York, almost parallel with Weipa, has produced some of Australia's youngest art stars in recent years. Rosella Namok, Samantha Hobson and Fiona Omeenyo, all in their early twenties and of the Aangkum, Kuuku 'Yau and Umpila language groups respectively, have had sell-out, solo exhibitions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Rosella Namok has twice been listed in the Australian Art Collector's '50 Most Collectable Artists in Australia', in 1999 she was nominated for Young Australian of the Year (Arts Section) and in 2003 was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for distinguished service to indigenous art and the community.
Lockhart River is a 12-hour drive - or an almost two-hour flight - north of
Cairns. Initially founded beside the Lockhart River in 1924 as an Anglican
Mission, it was relocated close to Quintell Beach and a World War II airstrip
in the late 1960s.
Full story Issue 31 Oct/Nov 2003
