Garry Sibosado
Garry Sibosado is a Bard man living in Lombadina in the West Kimberley region in the north of Western Australia. He has learnt the traditional skills of carving and engraving local ebony (birrimbirr) and mother of pearl (guan) and been formally trained in jewellery working with Kimberley pearls, precious metals and stones.
Traditional skills have been passed down over thousands of years by tribal leaders, the custodians of the Riji, the carved guan used for ceremony, trade and adornment. Garry is a master craftsman of Riji, and is guided by his ancestors to create contemporary works of art.
Garry has exhibited at Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia (2019); Desert River Sea, Art Gallery of Western Australia (2019); North by East West, Cairns Regional Gallery (2018); Shimmer: Shellwork, Wollongong Gallery (2016); Lustre, Western Australian Museum (2015); One Night Under Lights, Sydney (2010); and the Festival of Pacific Arts, Palau (2004).
For IOTA21, Garry is exhibiting at both Fremantle Arts Centre and John Curtin Gallery.
Oongoonorr 2021, mother of pearl, native ebony, cubic zirconia, powder coated steel, 320x120cm (228 pieces). PoA.
My art reflects my heritage as a saltwater man from the Bard Country in the Dampier Peninsula of the West Kimberley. Although the sea is a constant inspiration for my designs, for this work I have turned my gaze to the skies – to the ‘ocean in the sky’. The stars that make up the Milky Way is what we call ‘Oongoonorr’.
Many cultural creators came from the Oongoonorr. Symbols within this work include traditional and contemporary icon designs that represent totems of my people, as well as a glimpse of the multitude of stories that our people transfer from generation to generation about the stars.
Born
1974 Lombadina, Western Australia, Australia
Lives & Works
Lombadina, Western Australia, Australia
Acknowledgements & Funders
New work by Garry Sibosado for IOTA21 is supported by the Western Australian government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, his family and Artforms.
Exhibited at
Fremantle Arts Centre
FAC is a multi-arts organisation based in a historic building complex in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Address
1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle